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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many licences to export goods to Iran have been (a) granted and (b) refused, in the last 12 months; [108474] (2) how many applications for licences to export goods to Iran have been rejected in the past 12 months on the grounds that there was an unacceptable risk that the goods might be diverted to a weapons of mass destruction programme. [108475] Dr. Howells: The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 1999 and 28 January 2000, 91 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and one Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Iran. During the period 18 applications for a SIEL and no applications for an OIEL were refused. Individual applications and licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings (and OIELs may also cover a range of countries). Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings. Standard Individual Export Licences issued and applications refused for such licences between 1 January 1999 and 28 January 2000 covering the export to Iran of goods entered in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Rating Number of SIELs issued covering goods with Number of SIEL applications refused this rating covering goods with this rating ML3 0 1 ML13 1 0 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Standard Individual Export Licences issued and applications refused between 1 January 1999 and 28 January 2000 covering the export to Iran of other goods _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Rating Number of SIELs issued covering goods with Number of SIEL applications refused this rating covering goods with this rating IC008 1 0 IC110 1 0 IC229 1 0 IC350 5 0 2B350 1 0 3A001 3 0 5A002 2 0 5D002 1 0 6A001 1 0 6A003 1 0 7A103 2 0 8A990 7 4 8D990 0 2 9A990 30 6 9A991 0 1 9E990 4 0 End-use 36 7 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. The one OIEL issued covered goods with the rating 5A002. The paper records for the 18 applications for a SIEL that were refused have been examined and seven were refused because of concern that the goods would be diverted to programmes relating to weapons of mass destruction. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307-08W.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

344 c241-2W; 108474;108475

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Export controls Iran Weapons of mass destruction

Contains statistics

Yes