§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will take further steps to ensure that the end use and end user statements are correct on export licence applications for military hardware. [34525]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 16 March 1998]: Inquiries are made if there is reason to question the accuracy or relevance of any of the information relating to the stated end-use that is supplied with export licence applications.
Work is in hand to identify ways to reduce further the risk that exported goods might be diverted to an undesirable end-user. As was said by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) on 9 March 1998, Official Report, column 55, an announcement will be made in due course.