§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list for each of the last 20 years the(a) contracts with, (b) materials involved in and (c) value of trade deals with Iraq agreed with the support of the Export Credit Guarantee Department for which payment from Iraq has not been received. [138914]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienECGD has unrecovered claims of around £623 million arising from contracts with Iraq signed prior to the first Gulf conflict in 1991. This amount does not include interest, which, it is estimated, could bring the figure to around £1 billion.
These claims stem from more than five hundred cases supporting the export of goods ranging from consumer items to heavy industrial equipment. The details of these contracts could only be collated at disproportionate cost.
ECGD has not been on cover for business in Iraq since 1991.
§ Mr. SimonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with industry stakeholders to ensure that arrangements are in place to provide the necessary training and1426W information to employees concerning their obligations to meet the compliance regulations inherent in export control licence procedures. [139857]
§ Nigel GriffithsThe Export Control Organisation of the DTI undertakes a variety of work to raise awareness and understanding of export controls, including regular seminars and company visits from Compliance Officers. Guidance on export licensing matters, including a Compliance Code of Practice is published on the Export Control Organisation website. Companies are informed of developments in export controls through Notices to Exporters, including by way of automated e-mail notification.
The new controls introduced by Orders made under the Export Control Act 2002 will come into force on 1 May 2004, after a six-month implementation period to allow adequate time for industry and Government to prepare for the new controls. Government officials have worked closely with business since the public consultation ended in April 2003, and will continue to work with industry during the implementation period.
§ Mr. SimonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to ensure that defence-related companies are aware of the implications of the Export Control Act 2002; and what efforts her Department is making to ensure that such companies are equipped to meet the deadline for applications. [139858]
§ Nigel GriffithsIndustry has been made aware of the new export control legislation proposals since they were first proposed in the White Paper in 1998, and all the major companies and organisations have been in direct contact with Government. The Government has provided a full six-month implementation period for the new controls it gives industry adequate time to understand them and prepare. The DTI has published detailed user guidance on the new controls, developed with industry input and including details of a number of new open licences available. The DTI is also running a series of seminars to raise awareness and understanding of the new controls, and how to comply. Further seminars, and also workshops and regional roadshows will be organised by Trade Associations with DTI participation in the New Year. The DTI is also enclosing notices with export licences alerting exporters to the new controls and sources of information. DTI Compliance Officers are advising companies of the new obligations during routine compliance visits. DTI officials will continue to work closely with industry representatives to monitor the progress of the awareness campaign during the implementation period.
§ Mr. SimonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements her Department has made for(a) assessing and (b) processing applications for export control licences from May 2004. [139859]
§ Nigel GriffithsAs is currently the case, all export licences applications received under the new controls will be assessed under the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria.
The Export Control Organisation and other Government Departments have started preparations to adapt its business processes, including re-deploying and training staff in order to process new applications.
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§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will take steps to ensure that armaments manufactured in the UK carry(a) a unique serial number, (b) the name of country of production and (c) the name of the company that manufactured the weapon. [131136]
§ Nigel GriffithsResponsibility for the control of arms manufacture in the UK is shared between several Government Departments. The Ministry of Defence takes responsibility for the markings required for defence equipment procured for use by HM Forces. The Home Office requires, under the Firearms Rules 1998, that all firearms manufacturers and dealers keep detailed records to include make, calibre, identification number and maker's name of all firearms. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for coordinating the UK implementation and support for the UN programme of action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The DTI has responsibility for the export licensing of strategic goods and considers export licence applications in consultation with other Government Departments.