§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what investigations Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has conducted of imports to the UK during the past three years of wines produced in wineries located in(a) the Golan Heights and (b) the Israeli West Bank settlement of Barkan; and what its findings have been concerning imports under preferences during that period. [111882]
§ Dawn PrimaroloFrom examination of entry records Customs and Excise has identified small quantities of wines from the Golan Heights and the area Barkan. Details have been passed to the European Commission.
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 14 February 2000,Official Report, column 447W, concerning imports from Israeli settlements in occupied territories, whether the documents referred to in the answer declared products imported to the United Kingdom in violation of Article 38 and the provisions of the Protocol on Rules of Origin of the EC Trade Agreement with Israel to have originated in Israel. [111874]
§ Dawn PrimaroloAs indicated in my answer of 14 February, the documents failed to substantiate the alleged non-compliance with the provisions of the Agreement between the EC and Israel.
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what post-import verification procedures Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has initiated with Israel's customs service for products imported from Israel following indications that the products in question may have been wholly obtained or significantly processed in territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including in Israeli settlements. [111883]
§ Dawn PrimaroloNone.
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has made of its ability to establish the origin of products that may have been produced in territories occupied by Israel since 1967 if Israel's customs misapply the origin rule protocol and the territorial clause in its agreements. [111884]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe European Commission is taking the lead in establishing the origin of products imported into the European Union, that may have been produced in territories occupied by Israel since 1967. The Commission has not yet provided an assessment of the likely outcome of this initiative.
267W
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what investigations Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has conducted and what information it has obtained concerning carpets imported to the UK under preferences from a manufacturing firm in the Israeli West Bank settlement of Barkan, or carrying the name or trademark of such a firm. [111879]
§ Dawn PrimaroloCustoms and Excise has identified a number of consignments of carpets from the area Barkan which have been imported into the UK under preferences. Details have been passed to the European Commission.
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 14 February 2000,Official Report, column 447W, what the information was concerning products processed in Israeli settlements in occupied territories which may have been imported into the UK in violation of Article 38 and the provisions of the Protocol on Rules of Origin of the EC Trade Agreement with Israel; and if Her Majesty's Customs and Excise has identified (a) importations to the UK under preferences of dates from the Israeli exporters in question and (b) the UK importers and consignees. [111881]
§ Dawn PrimaroloIt comprised details obtained by the European Commission of a range of goods together with information from another source about dates produced in Israeli settlements. Customs and Excise has identified importations into the UK under preferences of dates of Israeli origin but, as indicated in my answer of 14 February, scrutiny of the customs entry documents has failed to substantiate the alleged non-compliance with the provisions of the EC-Israel trade agreement.