§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will draw up and publish an ethical code concerning arms exports, with particular reference to UN resolutions. [41834]
§ Mr. Tony LloydI refer to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms) on 28 July 1997,Official Report, columns 26–29, announcing the criteria to be used when considering licence applications for the export of conventional arms. These criteria specify that an export licence should be refused if approval would be inconsistent with the UK's international obligations and commitments to enforce UN arms embargoes.
The UK takes seriously its obligations to implement UN Arms Embargoes and expects other countries to do the same. Within the EU, we are working towards an EU Code of Conduct that will set high common standards for arms exports from all EU Member States. The latest draft of the Code contains similar wording on Member States' international obligations and the commitments to enforce UN arms embargoes.