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Export Licences

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of applications for export licences were processed by the Export Control Organisation in accordance with their targets as to time in the four-week periods in (a) July 1998, (b) September 1998 and (c) January 1999. [71842]

Dr. Howells: The Export Control Organisation (ECO) of DTI measures its performance against two aims:

to provide a substantive response to an application within 20 working days of receipt for applications that need to be circulated to other Government Departments according to their policy requirements as determined by them ('circulated' cases):

to provide such a response within 10 working days of receipt for applications that are dealt with by DTI itself ('non-circulated' cases).

In each case, full documentation in support of the application must be provided by the applicant at the outset for these targets to apply.

ECO management data on the processing of licence applications are complied on the basis of four-week periods. The period closest to July 1998 is 27 June 1998 to 24 July 1998; for the period closest to September 1998 it is 22 August 1998 to 18 September and for the period closest to January 1999 it is 9 January 1999 to 5 February 1999.

To the nearest point, the percentage of licence applications completed within the published targets were as follows:

	Circulated (20 day target)	Non-circulated (10 day target)
27 June 1998 to 24 July 1998	43	83
22 August 1998 to 18 September 1998	38	82
9 January 1999 to 5 February 1999	62	82

This information was taken from the Export Control Organisation's management data, which are compiled in order to monitor performance at processing applications for Standard Individual Export Licences. The performance measures do not apply to applications for Open Individual Export Licences (due to the very wide variations between goods and country coverage of such licences), or for licences covering Iran or Iraq, or exports subject to control solely because of United Nations Sanctions.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export licence applications were refused by the Export Control Organisation during each of the four-week periods used by his Department since March 1998. [71841]

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Dr. Howells: The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the number of applications for individual export licences refused in full for each period are as follows:

Period	Standard Individual Export Licence applications	Open Individual Export Licence applications
7 March 1998 to 3 April 1998	4	1
4 April 1998 to 1 May 1998	8	0
2 May 1998 to 29 May 1998	8	0
30 May 1998 to 26 June 1998	9	0
27 June 1998 to 27 July 1998	4	0
25 July 1998 to 21 August 1998	10	0
22 August 1998 to 18 September 1998	10	0
19 September 1998 to 16 October 1998	10	0
17 October 1998 to 13 November 1998	9	0
14 November 1998 to 11 December 1998	11	0
12 December 1998 to 8 January 1999	6	0
9 January 1999 to 5 February	32	0

This information should be considered in the light of the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, columns 870-71.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (a) how many defence export licence applications have been withdrawn since 1 May 1997 and (b) if he will estimate the total value of the goods to which they related. [71839]

Dr. Howells: The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 2 May 1997 and 8 February 1999, 779 applications for Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) covering the export of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, the so-called Military List, were withdrawn by the applicants. The total value of the goods as stated on these applications was £399 million. In the same period, 11 applications for Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) covering such exports were withdrawn. There is generally no cumulative limit to the quantity or value of exports permitted under OIELs, so no corresponding figure for the aggregate value can be determined.

This information does not cover any applications for Media OIELs that may have been withdrawn during this period. Media OIELs authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists, when working in areas of conflict.

Some applications may have been withdrawn before a determination had been made as to whether or not the goods were listed in the Military List. Such applications are not included in this answer.

This information should be considered in light of the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) to my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) on 30 October 1997 Official Report, columns 870-71.

An application may be withdrawn for a number of reasons. For instance, an application for a SIEL may be withdrawn on issue of an OIEL or an Open General Export

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Licence that covers the proposed export; or the potential export may simply fail to materialise. There is no requirement that the applicant should give the Department of Trade and Industry a reason for withdrawal.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export licence applications were processed by the Export Control Organisation in each of the four-week periods used by his Department since March 1998, broken down by (a) those circulated to other Government departments and (b) those not circulated. [71840]

Dr. Howells: The information, beginning with the four week period nearest to the date specified, is as follows:

Period	Application circulated to other departments according to their policy requirements and completed during the period	Applications not circulated to other departments and completed during the period
7 March 1998 to 3 April 1998	1,039	111
4 April 1998 to 1 May 1998	704	145
2 May 1998 to 29 May 1998	710	94
30 May 1998 to 26 June 1998	670	77
27 June 1998 to 24 July 1998	564	119
25 July 1998 to 21 August 1998	858	123
22 August 1998 to 18 September 1998	718	93
19 September 1998 to 16 October 1998	675	99
17 October 1998 to 13 November 1998	836	86
14 November 1998 to 11 December 1998	756	131
12 December 1998 to 8 January 1999	678	97
9 January 1999 to 5 February 1999	854	126

The information has been taken from the Export Control Organisation's management data which are compiled in order to monitor performance of processing applications for Standard Individual Export Licences. The above data do not include applications for Open Individual Export Licences, for applications to export goods to Iran or Iraq or exports which are subject to control solely because of United Nations Sanctions.

Hallmarks

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if articles of precious metal which have been hallmarked in Spain may be offered for sale in the United Kingdom without being further hallmarked in the United Kingdom; and if he will place in the Library illustrations of the Spanish hallmarks. [72588]

Dr. Howells: The Hallmarking Act 1973 was amended with effect from 1 January this year in accordance with Article 30 of the EC Treaty and European case law concerning the free circulation of goods, in order to allow articles of precious metal which have been struck with hallmarks by an independent body in an EEA State to be offered for sale in the United Kingdom without further hallmarking where the marks in question provide information which is equivalent to UK hallmarks and is capable of being understood by UK consumers.

It is ultimately a matter for the UK courts whether articles hallmarked by an assay office in Spain would meet these conditions, but the British Hallmarking Council--the body established by the 1973 Act--is of the

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opinion that they will. I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of the information about the hallmarks of other EEA States which has been published by the BHC. This includes illustrations of individual marks. The information is not yet comprehensive and DTI is currently attempting to obtain fuller information.

Millennium Compliance

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he has had with his French energy counterpart on the Millennium-readiness of French nuclear power stations and on contingency plans and other related safety issues; and if he will make a statement. [72155]

Mr. Battle: Nuclear safety regulators regularly discuss Year 2000 issues both at international meetings and at bi-lateral meetings. A recent example was the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's workshop on "The impact of year 2000 on the Nuclear Industry", in Ottawa on 8-10 February 1999. All nuclear safety regulators present there, including the French Nuclear Safety Authority--Direction de la surete des installations nucleaires (DSIN)--gave reports on the readiness of their nuclear sector on millennium issues.

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in the British Health and Safety Executive is satisfied that the French Authorities are taking seriously Year 2000 issues and are dealing with them in an appropriate and effective manner.

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