HC Deb 19 April 2000 vol 348 cc538-42W
Ann Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the export licences granted for strategic exports from the UK from 1 January to(a) Zimbabwe, (b) Uganda, (c) Rwanda, (d) Burundi, (e) Angola and (f) Namibia. [118946]

Dr. Howells

The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 2000 and 5 April 2000, 15 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs), and no Open Individual Export Licences, were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in the specified countries of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. One SIEL covered the export to Angola of goods with the rating PL5033, one SIEL covered the export to Uganda of goods with the rating PL5031, and 13 SIELs covered exports to Zimbabwe; information on the SIELs covering exports for Zimbabwe is set out in the table. Licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings; where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.

Standard Individual Export Licences issued between 1 January 2000 and 5 April 2000 covering the export to Zimbabwe of goods on the Military List
Rating Goods covered by the SIEL
ML1 4
ML2 1
ML6 1
ML10 7
PL5017 1

This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307–08W.

In addition, Uganda and Zimbabwe are permitted destinations on certain Open General Export Licences covering the export of goods on the Military List; copies of all Open General Export Licences are routinely placed in the Library of the House.

Standard Individual Export Licences issued between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 1997 covering the export to the specified countries of goods on the Military List
Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating
Rating India Indonesia Kuwait Malaysia Pakistan Saudi Arabia Yemen Zimbabwe
ML1 26 5 25 23 75 21 1 37
ML2 12 6 6 34 5 4 0 2
ML3 31 4 12 5 27 6 1 5
ML4 18 1 8 37 18 5 0 2
ML5 42 7 16 24 9 7 0 1
ML6 9 26 12 40 8 12 0 4
ML7 5 2 9 13 4 2 0 1
ML8 4 0 2 1 0 1 0 0
ML9 106 1 5 11 35 7 1 0
ML10 491 41 29 52 33 15 0 15
ML11 180 33 34 76 47 51 7 3
ML13 4 8 2 6 13 3 0 0
ML14 6 7 5 16 3 1 0 0
ML15 25 11 16 17 10 11 0 1
ML16 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ML17 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
ML18 42 1 2 1 20 2 0 0
ML21 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ML22 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
ML23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the most recent export licence for defence-related equipment was issued for export to(a) Saudi Arabia, (b) Kuwait, (c) Malaysia, (d) Zimbabwe, (e) Indonesia, (f) Iran, (g) Pakistan, (h) Yemen and (j) India; what each was for; how many licences for exports to each of those countries were granted in the last five years, and for what purpose; and if he will make a statement. [119479]

Dr. Howells

The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 1997, 2,376 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in the specified countries of goods listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. In this period there were no such SIELs issued to Iran.

As regards export licences granted for the export of military goods to the specified countries between 2 May 1997 and 31 December 1998, details of export licensing decisions in this period were set out in the Government's Annual Reports published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in March and November 1999. The Reports give details of the military equipment licensed for export during the periods as well as the ratings of these goods. Similar details of the military equipment licensed in later years will be set out in the relevant Annual Reports.

As regards licences granted since 1 January 1999, the Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 1999 and 5 April 2000, 1,221 SIELs have been issued covering the export of goods on the Military List. A breakdown of the licences issued between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 1997 and between 1 January 1999 and 5 April 2000 are set out in the tables.

Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings; where this is so, the licence is included in the Table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.

Standard Individual Export Licences issued between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 1997 covering the export to the specified countries of goods on the Military List
Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating
Rating India Indonesia Kuwait Malaysia Pakistan Saudi Arabia Yemen Zimbabwe
ML24 1 5 2 5 0 1 0 0
PL5001 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
PL5002 1 1 1 3 0 1 0 2
PL5006 7 4 0 7 0 1 0 0
PL5017 15 1 6 7 11 4 0 1
PL5018 10 0 14 6 12 4 2 42
PL5021 32 0 6 1 4 0 2 4
PL5027 2 3 0 2 0 2 0 0
PL5028 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
PL5030 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
PL5031 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0

Standard Individual Export Licences issued between 1 January 1999 and 5 April 2000 covering the export to the specified countries of goods on the Military List
Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating
Rating India Indonesia Iran Kuwait Malaysia Pakistan Saudi Arabia Yemen Zimbabwe
ML1 9 2 0 4 11 2 2 0 6
ML2 6 2 0 3 10 1 2 0 8
ML3 9 3 0 1 9 1 3 0 1
ML4 7 0 0 7 8 6 3 0 0
ML5 116 3 0 7 12 4 4 1 0
ML6 8 0 0 0 4 5 1 0 2
ML7 1 1 0 10 4 0 1 0 0
ML9 60 2 0 4 7 8 5 0 0
ML10 490 11 0 5 23 11 5 0 8
ML11 111 2 2 9 29 7 10 1 1
ML13 10 0 1 0 6 1 1 0 1
ML14 6 1 0 3 3 0 3 0 0
ML15 7 1 0 5 8 2 3 0 0
ML16 16 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0
ML17 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0
ML18 7 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0
ML21 6 0 0 1 9 0 2 0 0
ML22 15 0 0 5 4 2 1 0 0
PL5001 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
PL5006 5 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0
PL5014 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PL5017 30 0 0 7 13 5 4 0 3
PL5018 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Date of most recent SIEL and rating 3/4/2000 ML1, PL5017 21/3/2000 ML10 25/5/1999 ML13 22/3/2000 PL5001 29/3/2000 ML2 6/10/1999 ML22 4/4/2000 ML1 26/6/1999 ML11 28/3/1999 ML2

This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307–08W.

As regards Open Individual Export Licences, I shall write to the Member as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

In addition, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe are permitted destinations on certain Open General Export Licences covering the export of goods on the Military List; copies of all Open General Export Licences are routinely placed in the Library of the House.

Finally, it would entail disproportionate cost to compile information on the end-user for all of the licences shown in the Tables, and to make any inquiries necessary under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to register arms brokers before autumn 2000; and if he will make a statement. [119052]

Dr. Howells

[holding answer 17 April 2000]: The Government will announce their proposals for new export control legislation, including proposals on trafficking and brokering, following conclusion of the review of the proposals in the White Paper on Strategic Export Controls (Cm 3989) in the light of the responses received. The Government are committed to introducing new legislation on strategic export controls when time is available in the legislative programme.