§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Prime Minister if he will transfer responsibility for enforcing monitoring controls on arms exports to countries violating human rights to a Department with no responsibility for promoting exports. [5880]
§ The Prime MinisterWhile the Department of Trade and Industry is the export licensing authority, responsibility for enforcement of export licensing controls lies with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. The issue of where in Government responsibility for export licensing should lie is one of the matters on which views were sought in the consultative document. "Strategic Export Controls" (Command Paper 3349), presented to Parliament in July by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. The consultation closed on 31 October. When the results of the consultation have been fully considered, the Government will inform Parliament of our conclusions, including those on the issue of the location of the export licensing authority.