HC Deb 28 March 1996 vol 274 c733W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what(a) funding and (b) authorisation his Department gave to the report "Police and Public Security Requirements for Equipment and Services in the Countries of the Arabian Peninsula", published in June 1994. [230311

Mr. Oppenheim

The report was partially funded through the export marketing research scheme under the terms and conditions applicable at the time for trade associations using the scheme for the first time-75 per cent. The report covered six countries in the Arabian peninsula and was restricted to marketing research only.

The Department's role is to facilitate and encourage the use of export marketing research. It does not confer any "authorisation" to the result of that research.

Goods with potential military or public order applications normally require an export licence. The Government's policy is not to permit the export of such goods which may be used for the purposes of internal repression.