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Balkans: Arms Trade

Volume 458: debated on Tuesday 13 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many import licences were granted for arms from (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (b) Croatia and (c) Serbia and Montenegro in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by type of import licence description. (126540)

The Department of Trade and Industry issues licences to import firearms that fall under the Firearms Act 1968, as amended.

A total of 92 open import licences were granted from 1 January 2006 to date that would allow arms to be imported from any country other than a member state of the European Union (AY). These licences are valid for non prohibited firearms such as bolt action rifles and certain shot guns.

A total of 53 specific import licences were granted from 1 January 2006 to date that would allow the import of arms from (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), (b) Croatia, (c) Serbia (XS) and Montenegro prohibited under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended. The following table is divided into those licences that specify a specific country and those that could be used for importing arms from any country including those listed (AY).

Import licences issued from 1 January 2006 to date

Country of consignment

Description

Description on Open Import Licence for Non-prohibited Firearms

AY

Firearms, component parts thereof, or ammunition of any applicable Tariff Heading, other than those falling under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended by the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988, the Firearms (Amendment) Regulations (1992), the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 and the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003

Description on Specific Import Licences for Prohibited Firearms

AY

No more than 75 in total of the following weapon types complete with sights optic/night: sub machine guns/light machine guns/medium machine guns/heavy machine guns/automatic cannon/cannon/assault rifles/carbines/self-loading rifles/carbines/automatic rifles/carbines/pump action rifles/carbines, cal 3 mm-57 mm/.17"-1"/5 x silencers

AY

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

AY

5 x silencers and 45 shotguns (pump, revolver, automatic and semi-automatic) cal. .410", 28G, 20G, 12G.16G, 8G, 4G

AY

No more than: 10,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies/600 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Act applies/6,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/100 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ac) of the Act applies/3,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ae) of the Act applies/750 x anti-riot guns to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act applies/600,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/700,000 x rounds of ammunition to which section 5(1A)(e) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies

AY

No more in total than the following: 110 x lightweight multiple launchers/500 x shoulder launch anti-armour missiles/10 x vehicle missile launchers/2,600 x close-air defence missiles/220 x air to ground anti-armour missiles/20 x disarmed sectional missiles/75 x automatic/semi-automatic rifles/carbines (modified)/25 x machine guns (modified)/15 x grenade launchers (modified)/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/5 x drill close-air-defence missiles/88 x helicopter mounted missile launchers/2,000 x anti-tank missiles/200 surface-to-air missiles/100 x air-to-air missiles/500 x shoulder launch aiming units/200 x practice missiles

AY

No more than 500 in total of prohibited weapons and prohibited ammunition to which sections 5(1)(c) and 5(1A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies

AY

12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies

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

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

AY

10 x .223 semi-automatic rifles/carbines

AY

No more than 10,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act1968, as amended, applies/600 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Act applies/6,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/100 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ac) of the Act applies/3,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ae) of the Act applies/750 x anti-riot guns to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act applies/600,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/700,000 x rounds of ammunition to which section5(1A)(e) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies

AY

5 x silencers and no more than 45 x pump action, automatic, semi-automatic, revolver shotguns (cal. .410", 28G, 20G, 12G,16G, 8G, 4G)

AY

No more than 75 of the following weapons complete with sights optic/night: Sub machine guns /light machine guns/medium machine guns/heavy machine guns/automatic cannon/cannon/assault rifles/carbines/self-loading rifles/carbines/automatic rifles/carbines/pump action rifles/carbines, cal. 3 mm-57 mm/.17"-1"/5 x silencers

AY

5 x silencers/10 x derringers/30 x handguns/5 x machine pistols (cal. 2 mm-27 mm/.172-1")

AY

No more in total than 13,000 x weapons to which sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(ab), (ac) and (ae) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/1,300 x weapons to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act as referred to applies (excluding electro-shock weapons)/500 x weapons to which section 5(1)aba) of the Act as referred to applies/8,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act as referred to applies/25,000 x items to which sections 5(1)(c), 5(1A)(d) and5 (1 A)(e) of the Act as referred to applies

AY

100 x pistols to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies

AY

No more than 200 x prohibited weapons falling under sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(ab), 5(1)(ac), 5(1)(ad), 5(1)(ae) and 5(1A)(c) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended/ No more in total than 150 x prohibited weapons falling under section 5(1)(aba) of the Act

AY

No more than the following: 10,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended), applies/600 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Act applies/6,000 x weapons to which section5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/100 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ac) of the Act applies/3,000 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ae) of the Act applies/750 x anti-riot weapons to which section5(1)(b) of the Act applies/600,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act applies/700,000 x rounds of ammunition to which section 5(1A)(e) of the Act applies

AY

6,300 x 9 mm pistols/90,000 x rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition

AY

90 x 12.7 mm machine guns/85 x 7.62 mm machine guns /12 x 7.62 mm sniper rifles

AY

110 x lightweight multiple launchers/500 x shoulder launch anti-armour missiles/40 x vehicle missile launchers/2,600 x close-air defence missiles/220 x air-to- ground anti-armour missiles/20 x disarmed sectioned missiles/75 x automatic and semi-automatic rifles/carbines (modified)/25 x machine guns (modified)/15 x grenade launchers (modified)/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/5 x drill close-air-defence missiles/2,000 x anti-tank missiles/500 x shoulder launch aiming units/200 x surface-to-air missiles/200 x practice missiles/88 x helicopter mounted missile launchers/100 x air-to-air missiles

AY

20 x 5.8x42 mm automatic rifles/20 x 5.56 mm automatic rifles/20 x 7.65 mm sub machine guns/30,000 x rounds of 7.65 mm ammunition/10,000 x rounds of 5.8 mm ammunition

AY

No more than 500 x prohibited ammunition to which sections 5(1)(c) and 5(1 A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies

AY

12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968. as amended, applies

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

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

AY

No more than 500 x automatic weapons of all types, semi-automatic weapons, grenade launchers, handguns and component parts for the preceding firearms

AY

100 x firearms to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, applies

AY

12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(ab) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies/12 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies

AY

5 x silencers/10 x derringers/30 x handguns/5 x machine pistols

AY

5 x silencers / 45 x shotguns (pump, revolver, automatic, semi-automatic in calibres .410", 28G, 20G, 16G, 12G, 8G, 4G)

AY

5 x silencers/No more than 75 of the following weapons complete with sights optic/night: Sub machine guns/light machine guns/medium machine guns/heavy machine guns/automatic cannon/cannon/assault rifles/carbines/self-loading rifles/carbines/automatic rifles/carbines/pump action rifles/carbines, cal. 3 mm-57 mm/.17"-1"

AY

No more in total than 13,000 x weapons to which sections 5(1)(a), 5(1)(ab), (ac) and (ae) of the Firearms Act 1968 as amended applies/1,300 x weapons to which section 5(1)(b) of the Act as referred to applies (excluding electro-shock weapons)/500 x weapons to which section 5(1)(aba) of the Act as referred to applies/8,000 x component parts to which sections 5(1)(a) and 5(1)(aba) of the Act as referred to applies/25,000 x items to which sections 5(1)(c), 5(1A)(d) and 5(1A)(e) of the Act as referred to applies

AY

6,300 x 9 mm pistols/90,000 x rounds of 12.7 mm API ammunition

AY

10,000 x section 5(1)(a)/600 x section 5(1)(ab)/6,000 x section 5(1)(aba)/ 100 x section 5(1)(ac)/3,000 x section 5(1)(ae)/750 x section 5(1)(b)/600,000 x component parts under sections 5(1 )(a) and (aba)/700,000 x section 5(1 A)(e)

AY

12 x firearms to which section 5(1)(a)/12 x section 5(1)(ab)/12 x section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies.

AY

14 x Dragunov semi-automatic rifles/90 x 12.7 mm machine guns/85 x 7.62 mm machine guns

AY

No more in total than the following: 110 x lightweight multiple launchers/500 x shoulder launch anti-armour missiles/10 x vehicle missile launchers /2,600 x close-air defence missiles/220 x air to ground anti-armour missiles/20 x disarmed sectional missiles/75 x automatic/semi-automatic rifles/carbines (modified)/25 x machine guns (modified)/15 x grenade launchers (modified)/2 x drill anti-tank weapons/5 x drill close-air-defence missiles/88 x helicopter mounted missile launchers/2,000 x anti-tank missiles/200 surface-to-air missiles/100 x air-to-air missiles/500 x shoulder launch aiming units/200 x practice missiles

AY

No more than 500 x prohibited weapons and ammunition to which sections 5(1)(c) and 5(1A)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended applies

BA

30 x AKM 7.62x39 rifles/50 x Dragunov 7.62x54 rifles/6 x PKM 7.62x54 machine guns/15 x RPG-7 rocket launchers/110 x RPG-7 Commando 5 rocket launchers/1 x 60 mm M90 mortar/1 x 81 mm M69B(D) mortar/1 x 120 mm M-75 mortar

XS

5 x German MG42 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/3 x German MG34 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same /7 x Czech ZB30 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/2 x British Vickers medium machine guns .303 cal and 20 x spare barrels for same/5 x Belgian MAG58 light machine guns 7.62 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/5 x Danish Madsen light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same /12 x US-1919A4 light machine guns 30-06 and 20 x spare barrels for same/20 x British L4A3 machine guns 7.62 mm/8 x German MP41 sub machine guns 9mm /15 x French MAT49 sub machine guns 9 mm/30 x British Sten sub machine guns 9 mm/13 x British L1A1 Automat rifles 7.62 mm/10 x US M1 carbines .30 cal

XS

8 x Czech VZ27 7.65 mm pistols/9 x Belgian 1910/22 7.65 mm pistols/1 x German7.65 mm Mauser pistol/1 x Polish Radom P-35 9 mm pistol/2 x German P-38 9 mm pistols

XS

50 x .50 cal M2HB Brownings/200 x PPSH41 7.62 sub machine guns/100 x MG42 7.92 light machine guns/20 x DP26 7.92 light machine guns

XS

150 x Browning .50 cal M2 heavy barrel machine guns

XS

8 x Czech VZ27 7.65 mm pistols/9 x Belgian 1910/22 7.65 mm pistols/1 x German7.65 mm Mauser pistol/1 x Polish Radom P-35 9 mm pistol/2 x German P.38 9 mm pistols

XS

5 x German MG42 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same /3 x German MG34 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/7 x Czech ZB30 light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/2 x British Vickers medium machine guns .303 cal and 20 x spare barrels for same/5 x Belgian MAG58 light machine guns 7.62 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/5x Danish Madsen light machine guns 7.92 mm and 20 x spare barrels for same/12x US-1919A4 light machine guns 30-06 c. and 20 x spare barrels for same/20 x British L4A3 machine guns 7.62 mm/8 x German MP41 sub machine guns 9 mm/15 x French MAT49 sub machine guns 9 mm/30 x British Sten sub machine guns 9 mm/13 x British L1A1 automatic rifles 7.62 mm /10 x US M1 carbines .30 cal.

XS

20 x DP26/28 7.92 light machine guns/200 x .30 cal. Browning 1919 light machine guns/500 x .45ACP Thompson sub machine guns/20 x Czech ZB 26/30 7.92 light machine guns/100 x MP44 7.92 automatic rifles/200 x MP40 9 mm sub machine guns

XS

13 x Tokarev 7.62x25 mm Pistols

XS

40 x Browning M2HB .50CAL heavy machine guns/200 x PPSH41 sub machine guns 7.62MM/100 x MG42 light machine guns 7.92mm/100 x MG34 light machine guns 7.92MM/20 x DP26 light machine guns 7.62MM