Select committee: Committees on Arms Export Controls
Conclusion 1
First Joint Report - Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls
Published 28 Oct 2022
Paragraph 15
Committees on Arms Export Controls UK arms exports in 2019 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We are disappointed at the continued reluctance of the Government to offer the Foreign and International Trade Secretaries of State to provide us with oral evidence. This risks giving the impression that the Government do not attach the appropriate importance to parliamentary scrutiny of strategic export controls. While we appreciate that other ministers from the relevant departments have agreed to give evidence, we expect the Government to be more accommodating in offering suitable dates for ministerial sessions. The offer of a one-hour session is unacceptable, given the breadth and importance of the issues covered by the Committees.
From: Committees on Arms Export Controls, First Joint Report - Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls (HC 282), paragraph 15, 28 October 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 9 January 2023 (deadline 9 January 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds to the Committees' recommendations by noting some conclusions, committing to specific updates and data, and declining several recommendations, including a post-shipment verification pilot and an independent review of the new Criteria.
- On LITE, the government says delivery is being progressed "urgently" and "will commit to ECJU providing the Committees with six-monthly updates on progress".
- On post-shipment verification, it says it "retain[s] an open mind" but "cannot commit to implementing a pilot programme by 2025", citing significant costs, resource and legal, diplomatic and practical issues.
- On the new Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, it is satisfied they provide a thorough risk assessment framework and "does not consider an independent review to be necessary or proportionate".
- HMRC "will provide convictions data for export control violations for inclusion in Annual Reports", but says it cannot agree to give the Committees settlement data, even privately.