§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Customs and Excise has responded to the requests by the United Nations Security Council for information on violations of arms embargoes in Rwanda by UK companies discussed in the United Nations Security Council document, "Third Report of the International Commission of Inquiry (Rwanda)", (S/1997/1010). [135132]
§ John HealeyI am advised that Customs investigators had met with officials from the International Commission of Inquiry (Rwanda) on 10 January 1996 to discuss Customs investigations and had also responded to a request from the UN International Tribunal on 21 March 1996. The Third Report of the Commission was published on 1 November 1996.
There had been some earlier confusion over letters from the Commission which were never received by Customs, but the Commission accepted that the requests in those two letters had been answered in the course of the above meeting.
HM Customs and Excise responded on 14 November 1996 to the Commission's requests for information about Customs investigations into arms supplies to Rwanda and exiled Rwandans.
I understand that Commission officials expressed complete satisfaction with the co-operation received from the UK Government of the day.