Iraq

HC Deb 16 March 1998 vol 308 cc487-90W

Mr. Bruce George

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the export licences granted to Iraq by Britain since 2 August 1990, separately identifying those for the export of growth medium broken down by (i) size and (ii) value of shipment and by stated end use; what are the current rules controlling the export of growth medium to Iraq; and what changes have been made to them since 2 August 1990. [30919]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 23 February 1998]: The export to Iraq of any goods, unless under authority of an export licence, is prohibited by the Export of Goods (Control)(Iraq and Kuwait Sanctions) Order 1990 [SI 1990/1640], which came into force on 9 August 1990.

The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and a total of 2,973 licences were issued for the export of goods to Iraq between 9 August 1990 and 31 January 1998. Full details of these licences could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Licences issued for the export of goods to Iraq between 9 August 1990 and 31 January 1998
Year	Number
9 August 1990 to 31 December 1990	5
1991	154
1992	418
1993	334
1994	635
1995	467
1996	349
1997	564
1 January 1998 to 31 January 1998	47

Between 1 January 1994 and 31 January 1998, 48 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued authorising the export of protective clothing mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists. This information should be considered in light of my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) of 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870–71. It would entail disproportionate costs to determine whether or not any such OIELs were issued between 9 August 1990 and 31 December 1993.

In addition, there are five Open General Export Licences (OGELs) under which specified goods may be exported to Iraq subject to the conditions of the licence: OGEL (Ships' stores: Aircraft stores); OGEL (Personal effects); OGEL (Documents); OGEL (Specified medical goods to the Red Cross); OGEL (Human remains). Copies of all of these licences are in the Library of the House. Formulated complex growth medium is not covered by OGEL (Specified medical goods to the Red Cross).

Of the licences issued between 9 August 1990 and 30 September 1996, 30 have been identified covering formulated complex growth media, and readily available details of these are as follows:

Date of issue	Quantity	Approx. value of shipment/£	Stated end-use
31.05.91	102kg	4,000	World Health
			Organisation (WHO)
			cholera control project
31.10.91	130kg	4,600	WHO cholera control
			project
24.01.92	1,095kg	28,600	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
24.02.92	25kg	1,100	UNICEF
19.06.92	6.2kg	200	Red Cross water and
			sanitation project
30.06.92	285kg	12,100	WHO
31.07.92	620.5kg	20,000	WHO
30.09.92	40kg	1,300	WHO
28.06.93	30.5kg	1,100	Veterinary work in
			hospital laboratories
30.07.93	20kg	1,100	UNICEF nutrition
	5 litres		research project
08.02.94	51kg	2,300	UNICEF
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories

Date of issue	Quantity	Approx. value of shipment/£	Stated end-use
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
18.04.95	181.5kg	4,200	Cholera control in
			hospital laboratories
04.12.95	335kg	7,800	WHO
10.01.96	4kg	600	WHO
	2 litres

However, as details of all of the goods covered by individual applications are not recorded on the relevant database, it is possible that other licences covering formulated complex growth media might have been issued during this period. Any such other licences could be identified only by examination of the paper records of all licences issued since 9 August 1990, which would entail disproportionate cost.

Since 1 October 1996, the UK has issued nine licences covering the export of formulated complex growth media to Iraq, which is covered by the Import and Export (IMPEX) Mechanism established under UN Security Council resolution 1051, which came into force in October 1996. In each case, in accordance with our obligations under UN Security Council resolution 661, the Government confirmed that the applications were to export supplies strictly for medical purposes. The UN Sanctions Committee was notified, as was the UNSCOM-IAEA Joint Unit. The IMPEX Mechanism covers specified goods with the potential for use in the development and production of weapons of mass destruction and provides for monitoring of their use in Iraq by the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM).

For six of the nine licences referred to in the paragraph above the consignees were UN agencies. For the three other licences, the exports were specifically authorised by the UN Sanctions Committee under the "Oil for Food" programme based on UN Security Council resolution 986 and successor resolutions. The date of each licence, the quantity of formulated complex growth medium covered and the stated end-use are in the table.

Licences issued since 1 October 1996 for the export of formulated complex growth media to Iraq.
Date of issue	Quantity	Approx. value of shipment	Stated end-use
12.02.97	5 litres	£500	World Health
			Organisation (WHO)
			poliomyelitis diagnosis
			project
07.05.97	10kg	£1,000	WHO tuberculosis
	0.5 litre		control project
21.05.97	10kg	£750	WHO nutrition research
			project
21.07.971	1,670.7kg	£54,000	Hospital laboratories
			under the UN
			"Oil for Food"
			Programme
09.10.97	27kg	£1,000	UNICEF urban and
			semi-urban water project
14.10.97	14 litres	$500	Hospital laboratories
			under the UN
			"Oil for Food"
			Programme
11.11.97	3 litres	$50	International Atomic
			Energy Agency rinderpest
			surveillance project
28.01.98	40kg	£1,000	WHO primary healthcare
			project
30.01.98	40kg	$4,000	Hospital laboratories
			under the UN
			"Oil for Food"
			Programme
1This licence expired before the goods concerned were exported, and a new licence with the same coverage and for the same end-use was issued on 19.12.97.