§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) pursuant to her answer of 6 October 2003,Official Report, column 1067W, whether her Department's proposals for secondary orders under the Export Control Act 2002 will comply with the text adopted by the plenary session of the European Parliament on 19 June 2003 (B5-0312/2003); [135102]
(2) pursuant to her answer of 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1069W, if she will change her proposals on the secondary orders on export control to comply with the text adopted by the plenary session of the European Parliament on 19 June 2003 B5-0312/2003, regarding (a) full extraterritorial control and (b) a register of arms dealers. [135103]
§ Nigel GriffithsThe European Parliament resolution is exhortatory so the question of compliance with it does not arise.
§ Alan SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many exhibitors at the recent Arms Trade Fair in London did not have licences to trade and possess such weapons in the United Kingdom; what proportion of the total exhibitors and traders were unlicensed; and on what basis they were allowed to continue to participate in the fair. [134905]
§ Caroline FlintI have been asked to reply.
557WI understand from the Metropolitan police that 44 out of some 1,000 exhibitors required certificates of registration as firearms dealers. Of those, 41 needed the authority of the Secretary of State under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 to possess prohibited weapons. Many of the exhibitors were exhibiting items such as boats, vehicles, equipment and clothing for which no licensing was required.
A total of nine exhibitors arrived without the necessary documentation and arrangements were made for this to be rectified before they were allowed to exhibit any firearms.