House of Commons - International Development - First Joint Report

House of Commons portcullis

House of Commons

Session 2004-05
Publications on the internet
International Development Committee Publications

International Development - First Joint Report

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 15 March 2005.

CONTENTS

Terms of Reference

REPORT

SUMMARY

1  INTRODUCTION

2  THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEES

Relations between the Committees and the Government
The future of the Committees: key issues

Evidence submitted by the Government
Future frequency of evidence sessions
Availability of information about the Committees
Prior scrutiny

3  STRATEGIC EXPORT CONTROLS ANNUAL REPORT 2003 AND THE QUARTERLY 2004 REPORTS

Improvements in reporting
What more needs to be done

End-use information
Trade Licences
Incorporation
Actual exports

Overall performance of the new export control system

General performance
Trade Control Licences: low number of applications
Greater use of open licences?
WMD provisions: industry concerns
Conclusion

4  FUTURE OF THE EXPORT CONTROL ORGANISATION

The JEWEL and Gershon reviews
Charging for licences: an alternative to job cuts?

5  THE EU CODE OF CONDUCT

Review of the Code of Conduct: licensed production overseas, brokering, trafficking and intangible technology transfers
Review of the Code of Conduct: transparency and convergence

Transparency as a tool for convergence
Transparency and competitive advantage
Undercuts

Other issues

Legal status of the Code
Differing interpretation by member states
Review of the Code criteria
Accession states
The "toolbox"

China: the EU embargo

Recent developments
What does the embargo mean?
Would lifting the embargo increase the level of EU arms exports to China?
What message would removing the embargo send?
What wider implications would it have?
Conclusion

The EU embargo on arms sales to Libya
Other developments in the EU

Controlling equipment used in torture and capital punishment
The EU WMD Action Plan

6  OUTSTANDING ISSUES

The extension of extra-territoriality
The prospects for an International Arms Trade Treaty
The ITAR waiver
UK Customs
Licensed Production Overseas

7  CONCLUSION

Conclusions and recommendations

FORMAL MINUTES
WITNESSES
LIST OF WRITTEN EVIDENCE
REPORTS FROM THE DEFENCE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEES SINCE 2001

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

Wednesday 15 December 2004
Wednesday 12 January 2005

WRITTEN EVIDENCE

© Parliamentary copyright 2005
Prepared 24 March 2005