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Small Arms Exports: End-user Certificates
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What steps they are taking via United Kingdom embassies, including Defence Attaches, and otherwise, to gather and collate information on falsified end-user certificates in connection with the illicit supply of small arms, light weapons and ammunition.[HL1441]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Establishing bona fide end-user details provided in support of licence applications is an important element of the UK system of export controls. Where the Government have a suspicion about the authenticity of an end-user certificate, further inquiries are made and these may be carried out through our embassies. Information about falsified end-user certificates is exchanged bilaterally and through international fora such as the EU or UN.
The UK has an on-going programme of providing assistance to countries that do not have the necessary resources to properly check end-user details.
State Visits
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What state visits are scheduled to take place in 2004.[HL1444]
Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: There are both outward and inward state visits each year.
On outward state visits, HM the Queen announced in her gracious Speech at the state opening of Parliament that she is to make a state visit to France on 5–7 April 2004 to mark the official start of events commemorating the centenary of the Entente Cordiale.
Beyond that the forward programme is not yet finalised.
On inward state visits, HM the Queen also announced in her gracious Speech at the state opening of Parliament that she looked forward to receiving the President of Poland from 5–7 May 2004.
Beyond that the forward programme of state visits is not yet finalised.
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