Hansard

Economic Sanctions

Volume 184: debated on Monday 21 January 1991

Download text
Back to top Previous debate Next debate
The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the nations against which the United Kingdom is currently operating economic sanctions, giving the reason in each case.

Mr. Garel-Jones

We are implementing a variety of restrictive measures on our trade and other relations with a number of countries. These include:

  • (a) controls, operated for strategic reasons, through COCOM on the export of high technology equipment which could be used for military as well as civil purposes to a number of proscribed destinations, including the Soviet Union, eastern Europe and China. COCOM comprises the NATO countries, less Iceland, as well as Japan and Australia;
  • (b) a variety of restrictive measures on our economic relations with South Africa, implemented within the EC and by agreement with the Commonwealth, as a signal of our disapproval of apartheid. For details of these measures I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 15 February 1990 and to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 19 February 1990. Since then, we have lifted the ban on new investments and the Commonwealth voluntary ban on the promotion of tourism to South Africa (on 23 February 1990) and the European Council has lifted the ban on new investments Community-wide (on 15 December 1990);
  • (c) restrictions not aimed at particular countries, such as those of the missile technology control regime, and those resulting from our commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, and controls on the export of material used in production of chemical and biological weapons;
  • (d) special restrictions applied to arms exports to certain countries, for example, in the middle east, reflecting our wish not to fuel or prolong conflicts in the region, and our determination to take a firm line on state-sponsored terrorism. The embargo on trade in arms with China, introduced by the European Community in June 1989 to mark their concern about the repression of the democracy movement, remains in place;
  • (e) economic sanctions imposed on Iraq and occupied Kuwait, in accordance with our obligations under UNSCR 661, following Iraq's illegal invasion of Kuwait and subsequent refusal to withdraw.