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Arms Export Controls

I do not accept that the Government have double standards. We are correctly applying both international law and the licensing criteria under the regime that we are discussing at the moment. Let me turn now to compliance with open licences, which was raised by the hon. Member for Cotswold. I should like to reassure both him and others that the Government take such a matter extremely seriously, as they do any breaches of the controls or the licence conditions. We have regular audit checks to ensure that companies are complying with the terms of their open licences. In 2008, the Export Control Organisation undertook 15 per cent. more audits than in 2007 following an increase in resources in the compliance unit. In 2009, the number will increase still further as the new officers are now fully trained and handling their own portfolio of companies. I know that the Committees have expressed concerns before, and to address those the ECO has put in place additional measures to increase compliance levels of open general licence users. From June 2008 to the end of February 2009, 38 warning letters were issued to companies that had failed fully to meet the terms and conditions of the open licences. Until recently, all the companies had been found to be compliant at a revisit. However, earlier this month, the ECO suspended for a period of three months a company's use of open licences following repeated non-compliance with the terms of the licences that it used. That indicates the robust approach that the Government are taking. Hon. Members also raised the issue of transport controls on category B goods. Such goods are of heightened concern, but they are also traded legitimately. Therefore, the arranging of transport will always be controlled, but the provision of transport will be controlled in specific circumstances. Only a much-reduced range of supporting services will be controlled, which was of particular concern to the hon. Member for Cotswold. Finally, let me respond to the point, on which many hon. Members have pressed, about how we can spread best practice and improve standards internationally. Hon. Members have been very appreciative of the fact that we have good and strong standards in the UK. They rightly asked us whether there is more that we can do in this area, but there is a recognition from the Committees that standards in the UK are higher than in many other countries. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform supports the FCO in international outreach work, and undertakes international outreach activities as part of a joined-up government effort to promote good export licensing practice in other countries, including those that have recently joined the European Union. We also host inward visits to cover specific aspects of export controls. In 2008, officials were involved in 12 inward visits and participated in 11 outreach activities overseas. ECO officials were also invited to deliver presentations at a number of overseas international conferences and seminars. I could give many examples, but I want to close by illustrating the importance that the Government attach to the export licensing regime in the United Kingdom. We want high standards not just for the UK, but for the EU through the consolidated criteria that are followed by all member states, and we will continue to promote the highest standards internationally. Question put and agreed to.