§ Miss BeggTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's implementation of the non-binding arms embargo against Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNSCR 1227) and on the steps taken to publicise the ban. [71645]
§ Mr. Tony LloydIn light of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1227 the Government have banned exports from the UK to Ethiopia and Eritrea of all goods and technology on the Military List, which forms Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994. The Government have also set in hand action to amend the Order so that a licence is required for all transhipments of such goods through the UK to either country and, given the embargo, no such licences will be issued. The Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories have been asked to take appropriate action to enforce the ban in their own jurisdictions.
The Government are also pressing for the EU to adopt 5.6 a mandatory arms embargo.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be issuing a press release on the embargo. An updated version of the list of all UK policy commitments on the application of strategic export controls, including arms embargoes, will be placed in the Library of the House. The FCO has already issued guidance on the ban to Departments in London, Posts overseas and other Whitehall Departments.