§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government's response to the Joint Select Committee report on Strategic Arms Exports will be completed. [122290]
§ Mr. HainWe regret the delay in responding to the Report of the joint inquiry conducted by the Foreign Affairs, Defence, Trade and Industry and International Development Committees into the 1997 and 1998 Annual Reports on strategic export controls and aims to do so as soon as possible.
The Report contained a large number of complex recommendations for specific action, which were of interest to several Departments. It has taken longer to formulate a response than would normally be the case.