§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that no arms are exported to Nigeria from(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EU states, under licences which were granted prior to the current embargo; and if he will make a statement. [16260]
§ Mr. Oppenheim[holding answer 21 February 1996]: At the end of last year, the European Union decided to strengthen its measures against the military regime in response to adverse developments in Nigeria. Among these measures was strengthening of the existing restrictions on the sale of military equipment, though there was no agreement to extend these measures to existing contracts and therefore export licences which were issued against those contracts were not revoked.
So far as future exports are concerned, in common with arms embargoes against other countries, the embargo against Nigeria will include all military, security and paramilitary goods and arms, ammunition and related material which is listed in group 1 of part III of schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, available from HMSO. The rules do not distinguish between items intended for the military and for the police, nor has any exception been allowed for international peacekeeping operations in which the Nigerians might be involved.