HL Deb 30 October 1997 vol 582 c264WA
Lord Grenfell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will announce what decision they have taken on licensing the export of riot shields to the United States Army in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The Government recently approved the export of 340 riot shields of UK manufacture to the US Army for use in Bosnia to protect US SFOR troops. Given the tension in Bosnia around the time of the municipal elections on 13–14 September we were glad to be able to approve this export as an exception to the EU common position on arms exports to the former Yugoslavia. This decision does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU common position.