A PERSHORE group is aiming to make the Government close an arms loophole which makes it legal for citizens to broker weaponry deals abroad.

Pershore Amnesty International Group has been supporting the human rights group's campaign on tough arms control which has helped to frame the Export Control Act 2002.

The Government published a draft bill aimed at modernising export control laws and closing some of the loopholes in March 2001. The bill for the new act was given Royal Assent in July, but is unlikely to become law until next year.

Ministers, along with the Department of Trade and Industry, are holding a 12-week public consultation in the autumn on draft versions of secondary legislation that will give effect to the planned new controls under the Act.

It will give the Government new powers to allow controls to be imposed on intangible transfers of military and other sensitive technology, trade in controlled goods between overseas countries and the provision of technical assistance overseas.

The group hopes the consultation might help close a loophole allowing British arms dealers to broker orders abroad.

Catherine Wallace, Pershore AI spokesman, said: "Much of the Act is good, but one unaddressed issue is of extremely particular concern.

"If a British subject wants to broker a deal between, for example, a seller from Russia and a buyer from Indonesia, they could avoid all UK controls simply by leaving the country and sealing the contract abroad.

"The Department of Trade and Industry is holding a public consultation on arms legislation this autumn. We want them to close the loophole that leaves it legal for UK citizens to operate as arms tourists and broker unlicensed deals from hotel rooms outside the country."

She said that the arms and security trade needs to be regulated to prevent arms and security exports from contributing to violations of human rights.

"We also want Parliament to know in advance where armaments are going. There are goods which are supposed to be consigned somewhere, but are being diverted by illicit transporters and pilots because the controls are not tough enough.

"We want it compulsory for people to get export licences and then be subject to rigorous checks so it is known what they are sending and where."

She also said companies were finding easy ways around the controls by using these loopholes, by either providing false documents about where their products are going to and what they will be used for, or making their products in another country which does not have such a strict licensing system.

Under current laws, before companies can get an export licence, they are supposed to provide information on where the arms and security equipment are going to and what they will be used for. But monitoring procedures are often not satisfactory and some companies have produced false documents to export goods abroad.

One example given by Amnesty International is that of a US company which supplied stun guns to Indonesia as 'fountain pens, keychains, child sound devices and electrical voltage units'.

Spokesperson Neil Durkin said: "This is a campaign to put pressure on the government to tighten legislation. It's about raising awareness locally with MPs in particular, to try to press for some amendments.

"This has been going on since 1997 and the government has been promising new legislation and we just want to make sure that its tighter than it is at the moment and try to close loopholes.

"It's a case of galvanising support from local councils. There's strong public support for new legislation and MPs are broadly supportive.

"People can write to their MP, they can send letters to the government, and the Department of Trade and Industry. There is still an opportunity for members of the public to play their part."

For more information, contact Amnesty International on 020 7814 6200 or write to them at Amnesty International United Kingdom, 99-119 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4RE.