§ Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those European Union countries which(a) prohibit and (b) limit the export or transhipment of torture equipment. [17313]
§ Mr. Tony LloydIt is difficult to define torture equipment. Many items of equipment can be mis-used for the purposes of torture. We are in the process of consulting our European Union partners in relation to our intention during our forthcoming Presidency to encourage them to impose similar restrictions to those that we announced on 28 July, 1997,Official Report, 28 July 1997, columns 65–66, on the export and transhipment of equipment where there is evidence that it has been used for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The picture is not yet complete, but it is already clear that there is no uniformity of practice within the Union. Some partners control equipment of the type described in our announcement, while others do not.