§ Mr. PollardTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many arms export licences for Indonesia have been(a) applied for, (b) granted and (c) rejected since May 1997, in each case listing the categories of equipment they cover. [110772]
§ Dr. HowellsDetails of export licensing decisions between 2 May 1997 and 31 December 1998 were set out in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in March and November 1999; copies are in the Library of the House.
The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. As regards export licences granted since 1 January 1999, the Export Control Organisation' s computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 1999 and 11 February 2000, 16 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and eight Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Indonesia 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. No applications for a SIEL or OIEL were refused during this period. Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings (and OIELs may also cover a range of countries). Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.
Individual Licences issued between 1 January 1999 and 11 February 2000 covering the export to Indonesia of goods on the
Military List
Rating Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating Number of OIELs issued covering goods with this rating ML1 1 0 ML2 2 0 ML3 1 0 ML6 0 1 ML9 1 3 ML10 8 3 ML11 2 1 ML14 1 0 ML21 0 1 ML22 0 2 PL5017 0 1 No new licences were issued for the export to Indonesia of goods on the Military List during the four month period of the EU arms embargo which expired on 17 January 2000.
953WThis information does not cover any Media OIELs that may have been issued during this period. Media OIELs authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists, when working in areas of conflict.
As at 11 February 2000, decisions had not yet been taken on eight applications for a SIEL and 14 applications for an OIEL to export such goods to Indonesia.
Individual Licence applications pending as at 11 February 2000 covering the export to Indonesia of goods on the Military List Rating Number of pending applications for SIELs covering goods with this rating Number of pending applications pending for OIELs covering goods with this rating ML4 0 1 ML5 0 2 ML9 1 3 ML10 6 5 ML11 0 4 ML13 0 2 ML14 0 1 ML15 0 4 ML17 0 1 ML18 0 1 ML22 1 1 PL5001 0 1 PL5017 1 2 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, between 2 May 1997 and 15 September 1999, Indonesia was a permitted destination on certain Open General Export Licences covering the export of goods on the Military List; copies of all Open General Export Licences valid during this period are in the Library of the House.