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Arms Trade

Volume 449: debated on Monday 17 July 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the process by which his Department gathers and presents information about the quantities and countries of destination of arms brokered overseas by UK citizens and UK registered companies. (84366)

The Government’s Annual and Quarterly Reports detail licences issued and refused for the brokering of controlled goods between third countries. While I have no plans to review the format, I always give careful consideration to any recommendation made by the Quadripartite Committee on Strategic Export Controls, concerning the Annual Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review his Department’s policy on monitoring the end use of licensed arms exports. (84368)

I have no plans to review the Department’s policy on end-use monitoring. I refer the hon. Member to my response to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) on 8 June 2006, Official Report, column 778W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what transit and trans-shipment licences have been issued since 2003 for the movement of small arms and light weapons from Bosnia via the UK to other destinations; and what quantity of goods was allowed by each licence. (84992)

[holding answer 13 July 2006]: No standard individual transhipment licences have been issued to UK companies wishing to transfer small arms and light weapons from Bosnia via the UK to other destinations since 2003. The Government publishes details of standard individual transhipment licences issued in its Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls. The Government's annual reports are available from the Libraries of the House, and the quarterly reports from the DTI Export Control Organisation website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/europeantrade/strategic-export-control/index.html. We expect to publish the 2005 annual report in July 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what import licences have been issued since 2003 for small arms and light weapons from Bosnia to the UK; and what quantity of goods was allowed by each licence; (84994)

(2) what import licences have been issued since 2003 for military goods from Bosnia to the UK; and what type of goods were imported under each licence.

[holding answers 13 July 2006]: Details of import licences issued from 1 January 2005 that would allow the import from Bosnia of small arms and light weapons (as defined by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) are listed. Similar lists for 2003 and 2004 could only be drawn up in the time available at disproportionate cost.

The list is divided into those licences that specify Bosnia as a country of consignment (BA) and those that could be used for importing weapons from any country including Bosnia (AY).

The Department does not issue import licences for military equipment other than firearms and ammunition falling to Chapter 93 of H M Revenue and Customs' Integrated Tariff of the United Kingdom and not imported by the Ministry of Defence. No such licences in respect of Bosnia other than those listed have been issued since 1 January 2005.

Import Licences Issued from 1 January 2005 to date:

AY

4 x DLASK Arms M4 5.56 calibre

AY

60 x pistols

AY

50 x handguns/machine pistols/silencers

AY

45 x shotguns/5 x silencers

AY

45 x assorted prohibited weapons

AY

500 x assorted prohibited firearms and component parts

AY

6,380 x assorted prohibited firearms

AY

358,725 x assorted prohibited weapons

AY

500 x weapons and ammunition -under Sections 5(l)(c) and 5(1 A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended

AY

5,000 x automatic weapons of all types

AY

1,000 x semi-automatic rifles and carbines

AY

200 x short barrelled shotguns

AY

50 x rocket launchers, grenade launchers or mortars

AY

2,000 x handguns

AY

12 x weapons under Section 5(l)(a)/12 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ab)/12 x weapons under Section 5(l)(aba)

AY

100,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(a)/50,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ab)

AY

500 x assorted prohibited firearms and component parts

AY

47,800 x assorted prohibited firearms and component parts

AY

40 x handguns/5 x machine pistols/5 x silencers

AY

45 x shotguns/5 x silencers

AY

No more than 45 in total x sub machine guns, light machine guns, medium machine guns, heavy machine guns, automatic cannons, assault rifles/carbines, self-loading rifles, self-loading rifles/carbines, automatic rifles/carbines, pump action rifles/carbines

AY

Unlimited assorted prohibited firearms

AY

6,470 x assorted prohibited firearms

AY

100 x handguns

AY

358,725 x assorted prohibited weapons

AY

500 x automatic weapons of all types

AY

1,000 x semi-automatic rifles and carbines

AY

200 x short barrelled shotguns

AY

50 x rocket launchers, grenade launchers or mortars

AY

2,000 x handguns

AY

36 x assorted prohibited weapons

AY

20,450 x assorted prohibited weapons

AY

47,800 x assorted prohibited firearms and component parts

AY

1,000 x assorted prohibited firearms and component parts

AY

No more than 13,000 in total x weapons under Sections 5(l)(a) and 5(l)(ab), (ac) & (ae)/l,300 x weapons under Section 5(l)(b)/500 x weapons under Section 5(l)(aba)/25,000 x weapons under Sections 5(l)(c), 5(1 A)(d) and 5(lA)(e)

AY

10 x .223 semi-automatic rifles/carbines

AY

110 x lightweight multiple launchers/10 x vehicle missile launchers/75 x automatic, semi-automatic rifles, carbines/25 machine guns/15 grenade launchers/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/500 x shoulder launch aiming units

AY

No more than 500 in total x prohibited weapons and prohibited ammunition

AY

5,000 x automatic weapons of all types

AY

1,000 x semi-automatic (self-loading) rifles and carbines of all types

AY

200 x short barrelled shotguns fed by slide, pump or lever action or by self loading mechanism

AY

50 x rocket launchers, grenade launchers or mortars of all types.

AY

2,000 x large and small calibre pistols and revolvers (handguns) of all types

AY

100 x pistols under Section 5(l)(aba)

AY

No more than 10,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(a)/600 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ab)/6,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(aba)/100 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ac)/3,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ae)

AY

No more than 10,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(a)/600 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ab)/6,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(aba)/100 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ac)/3,000 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ae)

AY

No more than 75 x medium machine guns, sub machine guns, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, automatic cannon, cannon, assault rifles/carbines, self-loading rifles/carbines, automatic rifles/carbines, pump action rifles/carbines

AY

60 x handguns (calibre. 2mm-27mm/. 172-1")

AY

45 x shotguns (pump, revolver, semi-automatic, automatic)

AY

No more than 45 in total x shotguns of the following types: pump, revolver, semi-automatic, automatic

AY

No more than 75 in total x medium machine guns, sub machine guns, light machine guns, heavy machine guns, automatic cannon, cannon, assault rifles/carbines, self-loading rifles/carbines, automatic rifles/carbines, pump action rifles/carbines

AY

10 x Derringer, 30 x handgun, 5 x machine pistol

AY

12 x weapons under Section 5(l)(a)/12 x weapons under Section 5(l)(ab)/12 x weapons under Section 5(l)(aba)

BA

9,480 x assorted automatic rifles and machine guns

BA

2,000 x machine guns, assault rifles and sub machine guns

BA

1,500 x machine guns, assault rifles and sub machine guns

BA

2,000 x machine guns, assault rifles and sub machine guns

BA

500 x rocket launchers/3000 mortars

BA

40,000 x various assault rifles

BA

10,000 x various machine guns/2,500 various sub machine guns

BA

100 x anti aircraft systems

BA

100 x rocket launchers

BA

5,000 component parts under Section 5(l)(a)

BA

20,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

B A

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,500 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

2,000 x assault rifles

BA

1,000 x assault rifles

BA

2,000 x AK47 assault rifles

BA

3,000 x machine guns

BA

20,000 x AK47 assault rifles