§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences for arms have been granted to United Kingdom firms since September 1997; and in respect of which countries of destination. [33831]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 10 March 1998]: The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the results are as follows for the period between 13 November 1997 and 2 February 1998 inclusive. 4,014 Standard Individual Export Licences and 55 Open Individual Export Licences were issued for the export of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order (the so-called "Military List"). These licences covered exports to consignees and/or end-users in the following countries:
Afghanistan, Angola, Netherlands Antilles, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cambodia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, the Falkland Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany. Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the People's Republic of China, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Vincent, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.This information should be considered in light of my answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870–71.
The list necessarily takes no account of Media OIELs, which are Open Individual Export Licences that authorise the export to any destination of protective clothing for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists working in areas of conflict.
The Government are committed to report annually on strategic export controls and their application.