§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take measures to ensure that(a) all arms transfers require legally binding end-use certification, (b) British embassies are required to check end-user documentation relating to the recipient country and (c) details of end-users relating to the granting or refusal of export licences are included in annual reports of strategic exports to Parliament. [64535]
§ Mr. Tony LloydAll applications for Standard Individual Export Licences to export goods controlled for strategic reasons must be supported by appropriate End-User Undertakings, or, if the consignee is a government body, a copy of the relevant part of the official purchase order or contract. It would not be possible to make End-User Undertakings binding on the end-user or consignee in UK law without the assumption of extra-territorial powers by the Government.
We regularly ask our overseas posts to carry out checks in cases where we wish to confirm the accuracy of the information contained in end-user documentation.
On the content of the forthcoming annual report on strategic exports, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) on 14 July 1998, Official Report, column 149. Information on licences issued and refused will be broken down by country but will not include details of individual end-users.