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Written question asked by Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 24 February 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 6 March 2003. It was answered by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Thursday, 6 March 2003 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the Government is providing to countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans to (a) address the proliferation of small arms in their regions, (b) reduce their availability and (c) strengthen controls on their transfer. - Includes figures.
Answer

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government is providing to countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans to (a) address the proliferation of small arms in their regions, (b) reduce their availability and (c) strengthen controls on their transfer. [99543] Mr. Mike O'Brien: The UK's Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) strategy, jointly funded by FCO, DFID and MOD, supports a range of initiatives tackling both the supply and demand for small arms. From the £20 million allocated to SALW under the Global Conflict Prevention Pool in 2001-04, £7.5 million has been allocated to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide advice, support and technical assistance for global weapons collection, management and destruction programme. This work includes projects in Albania and Kosovo, where UNDP has organised public destruction of weapons, awareness raising, voluntary surrender of arms in return for development projects and training for law enforcement and security officials. It also covers UNDP support for the South Eastern Europe Clearing House for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), which is working towards the implementation of a regional Stability Pact Implementation Plan to combat the proliferation of SALW and related munitions. Since the start of 2001, inter-departmental UK Government teams have in addition visited Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia and Montenegro to exchange information on and offer advice with export control policy and procedures. In addition, HMG funds work by the NGO Saferworld with governments and civil society to combat small arms proliferation in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and the work of the Small Arms Survey which publishes a yearbook on global small arms issues that includes Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
99543; 400 c1190W;400 c1179-80W
Session
2002-03
Subjects
Arms control Arms trade Finance Firearms Proliferation United Nations Balkans Eastern Europe
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk