HC Deb 26 February 2001 vol 363 cc407-8W
Mr. Browne

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent of arms trafficking and brokering activities conducted(a) in the UK and (b) by UK nationals abroad; what countries are buying arms by such arrangements; and if the countries involved are on the UN Embargo List. [150472]

Dr. Howells

It is already a legal requirement for persons in the UK and UK nationals to obtain a licence in order to traffic in or broker arms to any country subject to a binding United Nations embargo. However, such licences are granted only in exceptional circumstances (for example, to supply UN peacekeeping forces). The Government do not have powers under existing legislation to control trafficking and brokering in arms to countries not subject to binding UN embargoes, and the Government therefore have no powers to require information to be submitted to them about other arms trafficking and brokering activities.

However, as part of the review of the White Paper on Strategic Export Controls we have examined information available from both public sources and internal Government sources about arms trafficking and brokering activities conducted in the UK or by UK nationals abroad. As a result of the review, the Government have decided to introduce a system of licensing for arms trafficking and brokering. Full details of the Government's proposals on trafficking and brokering will be set out when the draft Export Control Bill is published. The introduction of the new licensing regime will of course result in information on the arms trafficking and activities subject to control being submitted to the Government.

Mr. Browne

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the arms deals that have been brokered by(a) brokers based in the UK and (b) UK nationals to (i) Angola, (ii) Congo Brazaville, (iii) the Democratic Republic of Congo, (iv) Eritrea and (v) the Sudan in each of the years (1) 1997, (2) 1998, (3) 1999 and (4) 2000. [150468]

Dr. Howells

Arms deals brokered by UK nationals or brokers based in the UK do not normally require a licence issued by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

At present controls on brokering only apply to destinations subject to binding United Nations arms embargoes. A binding UN arms embargo against UNITA in Angola was imposed in 1993 and against Eritrea in 2000. No licences covering brokering have been issued under these embargoes since 1997.

Mr. Browne

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the number of private military and security companies operating from the United Kingdom and providing(a) combat personnel, (b) training personnel and (c) operational support for foreign Governments, militias or irregular armed groups. [150470]

Dr. Howells

My Department has made no such assessments of private military and security companies operating from within the UK.