§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is taking to monitor products imported from Israel into Britain to ensure full compliance with (a) Article 38 and (b) other Articles of the Origin Rules Protocol of the EC Trade Agreement with Israel; [109543]
(2) what investigations Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has conducted and what conclusions it has reached concerning products wholly or substantially processed in Israeli settlements in occupied territories which have been imported into the Community under the EC Trade Agreement with Israel in violation of (a) Article 38 and (b) other Articles of that Agreement's Origin Rules Protocol. [109541]
§ Dawn PrimaroloFollowing receipt of information indicating that products wholly or substantially processed in Israeli settlements in occupied territories may have been imported into the United Kingdom in violation of both Article 38 and the provisions of the Protocol on Rules of Origin of the EC Trade Agreement with Israel, Customs and Excise has examined a number of documents presented in the past in support of products entered for customs clearance as of Israeli origin. Scrutiny of those documents has failed to substantiate the alleged non-compliance with the provisions of the Agreement. Customs and Excise is considering further options for checking the validity of such declarations.
448W
Worked Ivory seizures 1998 (UK) Item Number of items Country of export Country of origin Commercial or private Ivory and wood trinket box. 1 India India Private Ivory artefacts 2 — India Private Carved ivory 1 — — Private Carved ivory 7 — — Private Ivory egg 1 — South Africa Private Carved ivory 1 — Thailand Private Ivory pipes and cigarette holders 20 — Thailand Commercial Ivory jewellery 10 Ghana — Private Ivory carvings 3 — — Private Items of ivory jewellery 7 Holland — Private Ivory sculpture 1 — — Commercial Ivory statues 3 Australia — Private Ivory pieces 66 Zambia — Commercial Elephant ivory 87 Hong Kong — Commercial
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is taking on violation by Israel of the Origin Rules Protocol of the EC Trade Agreement with Israel in respect of imports to Britain. [109542]
§ Dawn PrimaroloCustoms and Excise is participating in a European Commission initiative to establish the true origin of goods which have been exported to the United Kingdom under the provisions of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade related matters between the European Community and the State of Israel.