§ Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what types of toxic chemical precursors UK producers sold to Syria between 1998 and 2003.[Transferred] [110248]
§ Nigel GriffithsThe Department of Trade and Industry's export control organisation records the type of toxic chemical precursors sold to Syria, if the items are controlled for strategic reasons and an export licence application has been submitted. As with any other specific product, in -ormation on items licensed for export is normally commercially confidential and exempt from disclosure.
Since some toxic chemical precursors have legitimate uses, officials are well aware of the special risks that exist in relation to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and for this reason gives extremely careful scrutiny to all applications that involve potential WMD concerns.