Schedule - Purposes for making orders under section 1(1) or 2(1)
Export Control Bill
5:00 pm
Mr Nigel Griffiths (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Edinburgh South, Labour)
I shall not refer ex tempore in Committee to a particular case. Under the Bill, the consolidated criteria are to be treated as published guidance that the Government must take into account in making licensing decisions. The Bill confirms and underlines the status of consolidated criteria, all aspects of which are important. Criterion 8 derives from the EU code of conduct on arms exports, and we are firmly committed to it. Hon. Members want to prevent a future Government from withdrawing from consideration of sustainable development as part of the export licensing process. They are ignoring the fact that we signed up to the EU code of conduct. We shall not withdraw from it, and a future Government will have to be bound by clause 8(4). The EU criteria will still apply unless the provision is altered or withdrawn by the EU, and I see no prospect of that. The amendment is therefore unnecessary, and I invite my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North to withdraw it.