HL Deb 25 January 2001 vol 621 cc22-3WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect to implement licensing for arms brokering and trafficking, which they announced at last year's Labour Party Conference. [HL343]

The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)

The new licensing controls on arms brokering and trafficking announced last September will be introduced under new powers on trafficking and brokering to be contained in an Export Control Bill; The Queen's Speech announced that the Government will publish this Bill in draft during this session of Parliament. Full details of the new controls proposed on arms brokering and trafficking will be set out when the draft Bill is published. The Government are committed to introducing the Bill to Parliament as soon as time is available in the legislative programme.