§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Ministry of Defence on the establishment of an arms broker company list; and if he will make a statement. [101925]
§ Mr. HainThe Government are considering the question of controls on the involvement of UK persons in the trafficking or brokering of arms and other goods controlled for strategic reasons as part of the review of the proposals in the White Paper on Strategic Export Controls of July 1998, in the light of comments made by respondents to the White Paper. The Government will announce proposals for new export control legislation following conclusion of the review.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning last month's meeting of the Working Group on Arms Exports on the issue of the control of arms brokers. [101927]
§ Mr. HainThe CFSP Working Group on Conventional Arms Exports met on 25 November and discussed a range of issues relating to arms transfers, including possible controls on trafficking and brokering. There was widespread recognition of the need for EU member states to give serious attention to the problem of trafficking and brokering. Member states also acknowledged, however, the potential difficulties of uniform EU-wide action, given their different national approaches to regulation of the arms trade and to the question of extraterritorial legislation, as well as the need to consider the inter-pillar implications of any new controls. The Working Group agreed to exchange further views on how to take forward discussion of this issue under the Portuguese Presidency. The UK will continue to play a constructive role.