Hawk sale to go ahead

Foreign Secretary Unveils Tighter Controls on Arms Trade

Export licences would not be issued for proposed sales which would compromise the UK's international commitments, or where there was "a clearly identifiable risk" that equipment might be used for internal repression or external aggression, he said.

In a separate measure, Mr Cook announced an immediate ban on the export of torture devices such as electric shock batons and stun guns.

But he confirmed in a written Commons answer that the new, tougher criteria would not apply to contracts signed under the rules applied by the previous Tory administration.

That means that there will be no block on the £160 million British Aerospace deal to sell 16 Hawk trainer-fighter aircraft to Indonesia.

Human rights campaigners have lobbied hard for the Hawk deal to be scrapped, saying British-supplied planes have been used by the Indonesian authorities against their opponents in the disputed territory of East Timor.

Defence industry is a major employer

However the Government has decided it would be impractical to revoke existing licences. And the Foreign Office found no evidence that Hawks have been used against East Timor.

In a statement, Mr Cook said of the new rules: "Britain is one of the largest arms exporters in the world. That leading position obliges us to take seriously the reputation of the arms trade. Success and responsibility go hand in hand.

"The new criteria ... will apply to all licences for arms exports. They are universal criteria. They are not aimed at any one country in particular, but they will apply even-handedly to all countries."

Dilemma for Robin Cook

The Indonesian government had warned Britain that it risked losing valuable arms deals if it tried to link them to human rights. The warning was delivered to Robin Cook by his Indonesian counterpart, Ali Alatas, at a meeting in Hong Kong last month.

The Foreign Secretary has a difficult balancing act to perform. He wants a more ethical arms sales policy but he recognises that the defence industry is a major employer and export earner for Britain.

Human rights campaigners bitterly disappointed

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