Computer Equipment (Libya)

Oral Answers to Questions — Trade and Industry – in the House of Commons at 1:45 pm on 19 June 1996.

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Photo of Mr Tam Dalyell Mr Tam Dalyell , Linlithgow 1:45, 19 June 1996

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the conviction of McNeill International in the USA on a charge of exporting educational computer equipment to Libya. [32124]

Photo of Mr Tam Dalyell Mr Tam Dalyell , Linlithgow

Does the Minister recollect that, shortly after leaving the Department, the right hon. Member for North Wiltshire (Mr. Needham) made a characteristically candid statement, expressing his exasperation with the Foreign Office for having put spokes in the wheel of trade in vehicles between Bedfordshire and Libya? Are we quite sure that we are not once again being taken for a commercial ride by the Americans? Libya is our traditional market; the decision makers were trained in Britain and not in the United States.

Will the Minister look carefully at this case, because some of us think that the Americans have quite cynically scapegoated Libya, that the Libyans were not responsible for Lockerbie, that it is doubtful that they were responsible for the murder of Yvonne Fletcher, and that it is doubtful that they were responsible for the La Belle discotheque incident, which caused the bombing?

Photo of Mr Philip Oppenheim Mr Philip Oppenheim , Amber Valley

I always genuinely listen to the hon. Gentleman carefully, but it strikes me as odd that he and some of his colleagues always kick up a fuss—sometimes understandably—about equipment exports from Britain to other regimes that they find distasteful, such as Burma, yet want us to export to the more distasteful, authoritarian and, in many ways, vicious regime of Libya. It was not British goods being exported to Libya and stopped but American goods, which the Americans stopped a British exporter indirectly exporting to Libya via a third country. The Americans have their own rules on exports to Libya, and in this instance they asked for our assistance in helping to prevent their laws from being broken on their soil. We gave that assistance and would expect it to be reciprocated if the situation were the other way around.

Photo of Mr Teddy Taylor Mr Teddy Taylor , Southend East

Is the Minister aware that McNeill International could be prosecuted for exporting radiographic equipment to Libya? Libya is about the only country in the world that is denied treatment for cancer simply because of what seems to be a rather mad policy. In view of that and of the fact that, on 26 May, a citizen of Lebanon was arrested, extradited and brought to trial in Germany for the Berlin bombing, which we and the Americans used as the excuse for bombing Libya, might there be a case for reviewing a silly, cruel and heartless policy?

Photo of Mr Philip Oppenheim Mr Philip Oppenheim , Amber Valley

I cannot comment on the individual case, unless my hon. Friend gives me the details, but we have a policy of strictly adhering to United Nations sanctions on exports to Libya. The Americans have their own rules, which go further. If the Americans decide that they do not want to export certain goods to Libya, that is their business. Where it becomes our business is if they try to claim extra-territorial rights, by claiming that they have some say beyond the UN sanctions over what we or other countries export to Libya or other countries.

Photo of Mr Tam Dalyell Mr Tam Dalyell , Linlithgow

On a point of order, Madam Speaker. There is a lot more to this, and I hope to raise it on the Adjournment.