§ Mr. PollardTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom continues to impose an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the EU' s Common Position of 17 December 1996. [44655]
§ Mr. FatchettWe remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan.
Following discussions with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a licence for the export of mine-clearance suits for use by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan in its demining operations. The grant of this licence is for humanitarian purposes, and is consistent with the purpose of the embargo.