HC Deb 23 January 1997 vol 288 cc708-9W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December,Official Report, columns 29-30, if he will list the dates of transfer of (a) the equipment and (b) associated equipment to Indonesia. [10742]

Mr. Nelson

All that is required for licensing purposes is a proposed date of shipment. What happens thereafter within the validity of the licence is a matter for the exporter.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December,Official Report, columns 29-30, relating to export licences to Indonesia if (a) the British Government and (b) private British companies have (i) provided or facilitated and (ii) propose to provide operational training in the use or deployment of the Tactica family of internal security vehicles. [10739]

Mr. Nelson

I understand that the company provides comprehensive training on how to operate the vehicles.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December,Official Report, columns 29-30, relating to export licences for equipment to Indonesia, what vehicles, in addition to those identified in his answer, are covered by the licence; if he will list the associated equipment referred to in his reply; and if the goods referred to are covered by export credit guarantees. [10738]

Mr. Nelson

Two Tactica four-seat, two Tactica 10-seat, five Tactica EOD—explosive ordnance disposal—seven Tactica water cannon, eight Tactica command and communication vehicles, two base station communications equipment, 164 Hornet Patroli, 50 Hornet Dalmas, 24 Hornet armoured APC—armoured personnel carriers—12 Hornet armoured EOD carriers, 24 Hornet deterrent vehicles, 12 Hornet armoured command and communications vehicles. The associated equipment comprises spare parts, lists of which run to several pages and are too numerous to list individually.

There is no Export Credits Guarantee Department cover.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers of 9 December,Official Report, columns 29-30, relating to export licences to Indonesia, what associated equipment was provided with the Tactica water cannon supplied to the Indonesian police force; what assurances he has received from the Indonesian authorities what the Indonesian police force will not use them (a) for internal repression and (b) in East Timor; what is the maximum pressure in pounds per square inch that the water from the cannon can be fired; and what security or other functions the water cannon are designed to carry out. [10752]

Mr. Nelson

I am not in a position to give detailed information on which of the spare parts referred to in the answer to question 818 are specified to the Tactica water cannon.

The Government have ensured that the Indonesian Government are well aware of our concern that such UK-supplied equipment should not be used indiscriminately or to disperse peaceful demonstrations in violation of the universal rights of freedom of speech, organisation and assembly.

The maximum pressure at which the water cannon can be fired is 13 bar—190 psi.

The water cannon are designed to carry out non-lethal riot control, although they can also be used as localised fire engines in public order situations.