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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Firearms Exports
Mr. Cohen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many licences have been granted for the export of firearms in categories ML1 and PL5018 since 6 December 1996; how many licence applications are currently under consideration; and what is his policy in respect of issuing such export licences for weapons prohibited by the Firearms (Amendment) Bill; [19089]
- (2) how many licences have been granted for the export of firearms in categories (a) ML1 and (b) PL5018 since 6 December 1996; how many such licence applications are currently under consideration; and what is his policy in respect of issuing export licences for weapons prohibited by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997. [21414]
Mr. Nelson: A total of 659 export licences covering goods in categories ML1 and PL5018 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order were issued in the period 7 December 1996 to 7 March 1997. A further 425 export licence applications covering goods rated under those headings were under consideration at close of business on 7 March 1997. In the same period there were also two new open individual export licences issued covering such goods and 25 dealer-to-dealer licences, valid for a period for three years, were issued to registered firearms dealers enabling them to trade with counterparts in EU countries.
Firearms and most military equipment require an export licence before export and all applications for such licences are considered case by case. Careful consideration is given to the political and military implications of allowing individual consignments overseas.
The Government pay particular attention to proposed exports of military goods to countries with poor human rights records, where such goods might be used for internal repression, and to countries or regions where the export of arms might contribute to destabilisation of the area. In all, eight strict criteria for allowing arms sales were agreed by Ministers at Luxembourg and Lisbon European Councils in June 1991 and June 1992.
Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the number of licences, organised by class and subclass, (a) granted and (b) denied for the export of strategic goods to Indonesia, since 1 July 1996. [21409]
Mr. Nelson:
Our records show that the numbers of individual licences for Indonesia which were issued between 1 July 1996 and 18 March 1997 are as follows:
| Heading | Number of licences |
|---|---|
| ML3 | 1 |
| ML5 | 1 |
| ML6 | 7 |
| ML9 | 1 |
| ML10 | 13 |
| ML11 | 9 |
| ML13 | 6 |
| ML24 | 2 |
| PL5006 | 1 |
| Total | 41 |
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| Heading | Number of licences |
|---|---|
| IC350 | 2 |
| 2B350 | 2 |
| 3A990 | 3 |
| 5A002 | 1 |
| 5D002 | 1 |
| 5E002 | 1 |
| 9A003 | 1 |
| Total | 11 |
| Heading | Numbers of licences |
|---|---|
| ML 3 | 1 |
| ML 4 | 1 |
| PL 5002 | 1 |
| Total | 3 |
Details of subclass could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Regina v. Rees and Rotheroe
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of the implication of the case of Regina v. Rees and Rotheroe for the work of his Department. [21553]
Mr. Nelson: As I said to the hon. Member in the House on 19 March, Official Report, columns 870-71, arrangements have been put in place which seek to avoid the accidental oversight that occurred in the case in question.
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library those documents his Department made available to lawyers acting in the case of Regina v. Rees and Rotheroe. [21554]
Mr. Nelson: No. Documents disclosed to the defence were provided solely for the purposes of the trial.
Advisory Bodies (London)
Mr. Dobson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the non-elected bodies responsible to his Department which are responsible for providing advice or services in London, indicating in each case the (i) overall budget and (ii) estimated running costs for each year from 1996-97 to 1999-2000. [21383]
Mr. John M. Taylor:
My Department has responsibility for a broad range of bodies which provide advice or services both in London and outside. A list of these can be found in "Public Bodies 1996" which is available in the Library of the House. In addition, specific details about the agencies and a number of non-departmental public bodies for which my Department is responsible are published in "Trade and Industry: The Government's Expenditure plans 1997-98 to 1990-00" (Cm 3605), published on 20 March 1997, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Further details about particular bodies may be found in their annual
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reports. Many of these reports are also either available in the Library of the House or can be obtained direct from the body concerned.
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licences classified under the headings ML1 and PL5018 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 have been issued since 6 December 1996. [20670]
Mr. Nelson
[holding answer 18 March 1997]: A total of 659 export licences covering goods in categories ML1 and PL5018 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order were issued in the period 7 December 1996 to 7 March 1997.
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many dealer-to-dealer licences have been issued to registered firearms dealers in the period since 6 December 1996. [20671]
Mr. Nelson
[holding answer 18 March 1997]: A total of 25 dealer-to-dealer licences, valid for a period of three years, were issued in the period 7 December 1996 to 7 March 1997 to registered firearms dealers enabling them to trade with counterparts in EU countries.
Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the United Kingdom share of Japanese investment in Europe; how many jobs have been safeguarded since 1979 as a result of inward investment; and if he will make a statement. [21365]
Mr. Greg Knight:
The United Kingdom is the No. 1 location in the EU for inward investment with the latest OECD figures available showing that in 1994 the UK had over 40 per cent. of all Japanese investment in the EU. Since 1979 my Department's Invest in Britain Bureau has recorded over 462,000 safeguarded jobs associated with inward investment. This is an enviable record which we are determined to maintain in the face of increased competition in Europe to international investment.
Mr. Llew Smith:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of plutonium are stored under safeguards at United Kingdom nuclear facilities; in what form; if he will list the owners of the plutonium; and what quantities of United Kingdom-owned plutonium are currently on loan to other countries under safeguards. [21306]
Mr. Nelson:
All civil plutonium in the United Kingdom is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the tripartite UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement (INFCIRC/263). Details of the quantities of such plutonium stored at United Kingdom nuclear facilities, including its form and ownership, are published by my Department each year. A copy of the United Kingdom's annual plutonium figures publication for the year ended 31 March 1996 was placed in the Library of the House of Commons in July 1996. This publication also includes information by country on exports, and imports, of civil plutonium. Information on specific
21 Mar 1997 : Column: 1010
transactions, including loans of material, is commercially confidential. The United Kingdom has a policy of requiring full scope safeguards as a condition of supply which means that exports of plutonium are not allowed to any country, other than the nuclear weapons states, where there are any unsafeguarded nuclear installations.
Sir John Stanley:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the increase or decrease in real terms since privatisation in the price of (a) gas, (b) electricity and (c) telephone calls. [21492]
Mr. Page:
Between privatisation in quarter four 1986 and quarter four 1996 average UK industrial gas prices have fallen by 59 per cent. in real terms and real domestic prices, including VAT, by 20½ per cent, whilst between privatisation in quarter two 1990 and quarter four 1996 average UK industrial electricity prices have fallen by 17 per cent. in real terms and real domestic prices, including VAT, by 5 per cent. Since privatisation in November 1984 real overall telecom prices have fallen by around 45 per cent.
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