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Indonesia (Exports)

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list (a) the number and (b) the categories of export licences granted for the export of military, security, police surveillance systems to Indonesia since 1988, indicating the (i) type of equipment or systems, (ii) companies to whom the licences were granted and (iii) destination agency. [3620]

Mrs. Roche: To identify equipment in these broad categories would entail a significant computer and paper record search which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the (a) number and (b) categories of export licences granted to Arte Systems Ltd. for the transfer of surveillance or communication systems and equipment to Indonesia since 1988. [3636]

Mrs. Roche: Readily available records, since 1991, show that no export licences for this equipment to Indonesia have been granted to Arte Systems Ltd. To search records for earlier years would involve disproportionate costs. Moreover the Grays Group Limited have confirmed in writing that no export licence applications have been made or licences granted to the company.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the licences granted for the export of 40mm grenade launchers to Indonesia since 1988. [3383]

Mrs. Roche: The export of 40mm grenade launchers are controlled under entry ML2 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order. To identify licences covering these specific goods, all licences assessed as coming under ML2 would need to be searched and this can be done only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the (a) number and (b) categories of open (1) individual and (2) general export licences granted to (i) Procurement Services International and (ii) Greys Defence Systems since 1988 for the export of military security and police equipment or services to Indonesia indicating the equipment and services provided. [3692]

Mrs. Roche: Neither Procurement Services International nor Greys Defence Systems hold current Open Individual Export Licences, nor have we any record of these companies ever holding such licences.

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Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not issued to specific exporters. They can be used by any exporter provided, in most cases, they register as an OGEL user. There are four OGELs, which allow the export of certain goods controlled under the Military List (Schedule 1 of Part III of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended) to a wide range of destinations including Indonesia. Three of these OGELs require exporters to register if they are using them. Neither Greys Defence Systems or Procurement Services International are registered. The fourth OGEL allows licensable goods to be exported after prior importation into the UK for exhibition purposes. It could not therefore be used for UK origin exports.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the companies which are current applicants for export licences covering command, control, communication and information systems to Indonesia. [3434]

Mrs. Roche: There are no current export licence applications for command, control, communication and information systems to Indonesia.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list (a) the licences granted for the export of System X to Indonesia, (b) which agency it was destined for and (c) the year in which it was exported. [3525]

Mrs. Roche: Although some advanced optional features of the System X telephone exchange remain licensable, the majority of System X systems were removed from export control in 1992. From readily available records, which date from 1991, no export licences have been granted for this equipment to Indonesia.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she is minded to grant current export licence applications for the command, control, communication and information systems to Indonesia. [3435]

Mrs. Roche: There are currently no such applications. Should any applications for such goods be received in the future they would be considered in light of the outcome of the Government review of the criteria used in considering licence applications for the export of conventional weapons announced on 22 May.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what control she has over the transfer of (a) armoured vehicles and (b) armoured personnel carriers to (i) Indonesia and (ii) other countries from the GKN Defiance licensed production facility in the Phillippines. [3639]

Mrs. Roche: The control of exports from the Phillippines is a matter for the Phillippine Government. Any export of licensable goods from the UK to the Phillippines would be subject to UK export controls.

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the (i) number of (ii) categories of open general export licences granted to (a) Greys Defence Systems and (b) Procurement Services International since 1988 for the export of military, security and police equipment or services to Indonesia; and if she will make a statement on the equipment and services provided. [3687]

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Mrs. Roche: Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not issued to specific exporters. They can be used by any exporter provided, in most cases, they register as an OGEL user. There are four OGELs, which allow the export of certain goods controlled under the Military List (Schedule 1 of Part III of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended) to a wide range of destinations including Indonesia. Three of these OGELs require exporters to register if they are using them. Neither Greys Defence Systems nor Procurement Services International are registered for any of these. The fourth OGEL allows licensable goods to be exported after prior importation into the UK for exhibition purposes. It could not therefore be used for UK origin exports.

Computers (Millennium Compliance)

Mr. Cotter: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to assist small businesses which are adversely affected by (a) Government departments and (b) others failing ensure that their computer systems are millennium compliant. [5165]

Mrs. Roche: Within Government itself, Departments and Agencies are responsible for their own systems. The Central IT Unit, through its agency the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) is supporting the public sector with a range of specific activities, including the publication of extensive guidance by CCTA. As part of that support, CITU and CCTA have identified a programme of action to ensure that Government's response to the year 2000 problem is co-ordinated and coherent. This involves each department is producing a detailed and costed plan by October to ensure that all their systems are modified and tested by January 1999.

Each private sector organisation is responsible for its own systems. The DTI is working closely with Taskforce 2000 to alert all businesses to the problem and encourage action.

If, despite these efforts, a computer failure in one organisation adversely affects another party, the normal legal remedies will be available.

Phthalates

Mr. Flynn: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations she has received concerning the health risks posed by the release of phthalate from babies' teething rings; and if she will make a statement; [4487]

(2) what assessment she has made of the health risks posed by the release of phthalates from babies' teething rings; and if she will make a statement; [4488]

(3) what plans she has to introduce a ban on toys containing phthalates; and if she will make a statement; [4489]

(4) if she will list the EU countries which currently operate cautionary bans on certain plastic toys releasing phthalates when chewed; and is she will make a statement. [4490]

Mr. Griffiths [holding answers 24 June 1997]: I have received no representations concerning the health risks posed by the release of phthalates from either toys or teething rings. The Department of Health has advised that there are unlikely to be any health risks to children from phthalates in such products provided that exposure does

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not exceed the relevant Tolerable Daily Intakes (TDIs) for phthalates set by the EC Scientific Committee for Food. This advice takes account of all available information on the possible effects of phthalates, including recent studies concerning oestrogenic activity.

There is no ban on plastic toys containing phthalates applying in any of the European Union member states. I am aware, however, of some media reports about teething rings, containing phthalate plasticiser, which were removed from sales in Denmark, Spain, Greece and Italy. I am advised they were never on sale here. Trading standards departments in this country have been provided with full details of the products identified. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysed 11 PVC products sold by a variety of companies in Denmark. Three of these products produced higher levels of a specific phthalate than expected on extraction by a test apparently developed by the Danish EPA. The remaining eight items examined released no, or very small, amounts of any phthalate and were considered to be acceptable by the Danish authorities. PVC teething rings as such have not been banned.

In view of this, I have no plan to introduce a ban on toys or teething rings containing phthalate chemicals. A note reviewing the background to this issue, prepared by officials in my Department and Department of Health together with scientists at the Laboratory of the Government Chemists, has been placed in the Library of the House.

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