New Clause 2 - Licensed production overseas
Export Control Bill
11:15 am
Mr Nigel Griffiths (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Edinburgh South, Labour)
I am glad that the hon. Member for Aldershot has come in and made that point. There are abuses. For example, if we receive evidence of diversion, which is an abuse, I and—thanks to the Bill—future Ministers, will be able to exercise powers. The question of who is responsible for that diversion is another matter. It is our job to stop the abuse and illegal diversion of goods so that licensed production overseas is in order. It is those abuses that we act to stamp out, and we make no apology for that. The purpose of the Bill is to ensure that there is a regulated and legal trade in arms and arms technology as approved by the United Nations and to enforce effectively embargoes from the UN, the EU or the UK. There is a lot of merit in what the hon. Member for Aldershot says and he has grasped the key point of the Bill.