Torture Equipment

HC Deb 17 July 1998 vol 316 cc359-60W

Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Mr. Rowlands) of 4 December 1997,Official Report, column 300, on torture equipment, what progress was made during the UK presidency of the European Union in encouraging member countries to introduce similar restrictions on the export of torture equipment to those introduced in the United Kingdom by the Government on 28 July 1997, Official Report, columns 26–29. [50724]

Mr. Tony Lloyd

We have pressed our EU partners vigorously on this issue, culminating in a formal invitation to join the United Kingdom in announcing bans on the export of the same equipment as in the announcement of 28 July 1997.

Our partners are sympathetic to our concerns. Indeed, in defining internal repression, the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports agreed on 8 June 1998 specifically includes torture or other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment among the actions which constitute internal repression.

But some of our partners have doubts about the practicality and desirability of an outright ban. Many do not have national controls on some or all of the items involved. We believe from our contacts that there is support for the principle of controlling the export of such equipment.

As this equipment is not military equipment, matters relating to export controls fall within the Community's exclusive competence and it is for the Commission to make any proposal for a regulation establishing common rules. We are encouraging the European Commission to come forward with a proposal.

In the meantime, in the absence of an agreed EU position, it would be premature to press for global action. In due course, we would aim to press for such action to mirror the action that the EC decides to take.

The UK's national policy will be unaffected. Notifications of any licences denied under this ban will be issued to our partners under the denial notification arrangements agreed under the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports.