Electronic Surveillance: Honduras

(asked on 8th February 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the secretary of state for International Trade, whether he sought assurances from the Government of Honduras that the telecommunications interception equipment licensed to Honduras would not be used in internal repression.


Answered by
Graham Stuart Portrait
Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This question was answered on 20th February 2018

All export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available at the time, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network. We will not license the export of items where to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the Consolidated Criteria. In particular, we assessed both licences against Criterion 2(a) – whether there is a clear risk that the goods might be used for internal repression.

Each application must be supported by an undertaking from the end-user which sets out the intended purpose of the goods. This undertaking is considered as part of the overall assessment process but we do not rely solely on assurances given by the recipient state in deciding whether or not to grant a licence. As part of our assessment under Criterion 2 we consider all relevant information, including the behaviour of the end user with regard to respect for human rights. In this case, as part of the assessment, the British Embassy in Honduras was consulted thoroughly on the end user and stated end use.

The first licence granted in December 2016 was for a temporary export for demonstration purposes; a condition of the licence was that the goods were returned to the UK within 12 months, this licence has now expired. Our records show that the licence granted in August 2017 has not been used and currently no goods have yet been shipped. I therefore do not consider that the goods licensed for export could have been used against protestors.

No licences have been revoked or suspended for Honduras. We are keeping the situation under careful review.

I am withholding the name of the exporter because information on export licence applicants is confidential.

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