Afghanistan: Arms Embargo

HL Deb 02 February 1999 vol 596 cc199-200WA

Baroness Pitkeathley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the United Kingdom will continue to impose an arms embargo on Afghanistan in line with the European Union's common position of 17 December 1996. [HL830]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Her Majesty's Government 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 issued a licence for the export of mine clearance equipment for use by the Halo Trust to aid their demining activities in Afghanistan. The grant of this licence is for humanitarian purposes, and falls outside the scope of the embargo.