- Committee to press Government on
transparency, Israel, illegal settlements and Sudan
Ministers from the Department for Business and Trade, the
Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office will appear before the Business and Trade Committee to
answer questions on whether the UK's arms export control regime
is transparent, effective and being properly enforced.
Following the abolition of the Committees on Arms Export
Controls, the Business and Trade Committee has undertaken a
programme of scrutiny into the operation of the UK's export
licensing system and whether Parliament has sufficient
information to hold ministers to account.
The Committee has repeatedly been told that Government
departments cannot provide timely or comprehensive data on export
licences because their systems cannot effectively share
information. MPs will therefore press ministers to commit to a
fundamental overhaul of arms export reporting so Parliament can
properly scrutinise what military and dual-use goods the UK is
licensing and exporting.
The session will examine whether the UK's export control regime
is meeting the Government's obligations under domestic and
international law.
Ministers will be questioned on the continued licensing of
military exports to Israel, including whether recent developments
require further restrictions.
The Committee will also ask why the Government is failing to take
tougher steps to prohibit trade with illegal Israeli settlements
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories..
MPs will question ministers on whether UK export controls are
sufficiently robust to prevent military and dual-use goods
reaching sanctioned countries, including Russia, through third
countries.
The hearing will also examine whether the Government should
impose tighter restrictions on exports that risk contributing to
the conflict in Sudan, including concerns about the role of the
United Arab Emirates in supplying the warring parties.
The Committee will seek assurances that Britain's export control
system is transparent, enforceable and capable of ensuring UK
exports do not contribute to conflict or breaches of
international humanitarian law.
MP, Chair of the Business and
Trade Committee, said:
Britain rightly has one of the world's most rigorous arms export
control regimes. But public confidence depends on Parliament
being able to see that the rules are working in practice.
Ministers have admitted that Government systems cannot provide a
clear picture of what has actually been licensed and exported.
That is simply not good enough. Parliament cannot scrutinise what
it cannot see.
We want ministers to commit to a fundamental overhaul of arms
export reporting and to explain how the Government is ensuring
that British exports are not contributing to conflict or breaches
of international humanitarian law.
That means answering difficult questions about exports to Israel,
trade with illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, the diversion of controlled goods to Russia, and the
risk of British exports fuelling the devastating conflict in
Sudan. These are issues on which Parliament and the public
deserve clear answers.
On Wednesday 15 July at
9:30am in the Wilson Room or watch here
- Dr Rosemary Pratt, Director, Export Control and Sanctions at
Department for Business and Trade
-
Stephen Doughty MP,
Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories at
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
- Tom Barry, Director, National & Economic Security at
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
-
The , Minister of State at
Ministry of Defence
- Roger Harrison, Deputy Director, Security and Policy,
Directorate of Economic Security and Statecraft at Ministry of
Defence
