§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to improve the process of risk assessment for arms exports at the licensing stage; what further steps are being considered; and if he will make a statement. [133109]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Government have taken a number of steps to strengthen the process of risk assessment at the licensing stage and continue to consider ways of further improving procedures in this area. We rigorously assess export licence applications to determine the risk of the proposed export being misused in contravention of our national export licensing criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, including for internal repression or international aggression, or through diversion or re-export to undesirable end-users.
The DTI's Export Control Organisation (ECO) introduced a new computerised database in 1999 which has increased consistency in the assessment of licence applications and reduces the risk of errors. Further enhancements to this system are planned over the next two years. ECO has also increased the number of senior managers with oversight of the licensing process, and applications to export goods to destinations where there may be risk of diversion are considered with particular care. Applications are refused if it is assessed that an unacceptable risk of diversion exists.
ECO seeks advice on applications from other departments with an interest as determined by those departments in line with their policy responsibilities. DTI works in partnership with those departments to improve the overall effectiveness of the licensing process.
1091WWe systematically take into account reliable information from a variety of sources, including reporting from diplomatic posts, international organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations. We have taken a number of steps to increase the amount of such information available to us, for example by instructing overseas posts to report on any misuse of UK-supplied defence equipment and by promoting exchange on destinations and end-users of concern in relevant international fora.
All applications for Standard Individual Export Licences must be accompanied by appropriate end-user undertakings or, if the consignee is a Government body, a copy of the official purchase or relevant part of the contract. As noted in the 1999 Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, we ask overseas posts to conduct checks to confirm the veracity of end-user information. ECO is also actively considering the possibility of introducing a standard model format for the presentation of end-user undertakings, and new guidance material for completion of such assurances, which should further enhance the effectiveness of our licensing process.