HC Deb 24 January 2000 vol 343 cc35-6W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions exports notified as having been denied under the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports have been subsequently taken up by businesses from (i) other EU countries and (ii) non-EU countries. [106309]

Mr. Hain

Operative Provision 3 of the EU Code of Conduct sets out the procedures to be followed by member states refusing licence applications and consulting other states about their notification of denial of a licence.

Operative Provision 4 of the EU Code of Conduct states that Member States will keep such denials and consultations confidential and will not use them for commercial advantage".

These provisions effectively prevent member states from revealing business gained as a result of undercuts following EU Denials. We are not informed if non-EU countries take up business refused by EU member states.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the policy of his Department on the control of arms exports to combatants in the Great Lakes Region. [106385]

Mr. Hain

Export licence applications for countries involved in the conflict in the Great Lakes region are considered on a case by case basis against our strict national criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct.