§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo 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. [61609]
§ Mr. FatchettWe remain committed to the EU arms embargo against Afghanistan which the UK interprets as covering all goods and technology entered on Part III to Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods Order 1994, as amended.
Following consultations with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved two export licences: the first 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 and the second for the export of mine clearance equipment for use by the Halo Trust to aid their demining activities also in Afghanistan. The grant of these licences are for humanitarian purposes, and are consistent with the purpose of the embargo.