Arms Exports (Hansard, 25 June 2003)

§ Mr. Wray
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many arms export licences for armoured vehicles, aircraft and naval vessels have been granted by the Department since 2001; and what their value was. [121139]

§ Nigel Griffiths
The details of all export licences are published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls. A copy of the 2001 Annual Report is available from the Libraries of the House. The 2002 Annual Report will be published shortly.
It would entail disproportionate cost to establish the number of export licences for armoured vehicles, aircraft and naval vessels that have been granted since 2001.

§ Mr. Wray
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action can be taken by the Department against the purchasers of UK arms exports if the arms are used in undesirable circumstances. [121142]

§ Nigel Griffiths
The Government refuse export licence applications where there is a clear risk that the goods will be used in contravention of the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. The surest way of preventing diversion or misuse is by a thorough risk assessment at the licensing stage, where all information available at the time can be considered including the end user's track record, before the goods are exported.

§ Mr. Laurence Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to which African countries her Department has granted export licences for arms in the last six months. [121272]

§ Nigel Griffiths
[holding answer 23 June 2003]: Between 1 January 2003 and 17 June 2003 the Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control 800W Organisation granted export licences, covering the export of items on the Military List to the following African countries:

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Chad

Djibouti

Egypt

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Kenya

Malawi

Mauritius

Morocco

Mozambique

Nambia

Niger

Nigeria

Senegal

South Africa

Tanzania

Tunisia.