ARMS BROKERING

Early day motion 483, tabled 23 March 1999 by Baroness King of Bow (Labour). Signed by 100 members.

That this House welcomes the initiative of Her Majesty's Government last year which led to the adoption of a Code of Conduct on Arms Exports by the European Union; further welcomes the German Government's efforts to build on this code by introducing EU-wide controls on arms brokering; recognises the importance of such a move in the light of numerous reports concerning the role of European arms brokers in supplying arms to Central and Western Africa; believes that these controls should apply to all EU nationals wherever located, all foreign nationals resident in the EU and all companies incorporated or registered in the EU; further believes that such controls should legally require all companies shipping or brokering military, security and police (MSP) goods or services to apply for a licence prior to each transaction; considers that national and EU-wide registers of MSP brokers and shippers should be established; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to support these proposals and to introduce legislation necessary to implement them in the next parliamentary session, as part of its commitment to strengthen strategic exports controls.

Signatures by party: Labour 77, Liberal Democrat 13, Labour/Co-operative 7, Plaid Cymru 1, UKUP 1, UUP 1.