Select committee: Committees on Arms Export Controls
Recommendation 43
First Joint Report - Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls
Published 28 Oct 2022
Paragraph 130
Committees on Arms Export Controls UK arms exports in 2019 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We accept the Government’s assertion that it keeps all licences under review and that they have the power to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require. However, we also accept the considerable and longstanding concerns over arms exports to Israel especially where they might be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In response to our report, the Government should provide us with a detailed breakdown of licences granted for exports to Israel, including any end- use conditions. The Government should also provide details of licences that have been refused, suspended or revoked and the reasons for this action. We also recommend that exports to Israel are included as a case study in the next Strategic Export Controls Annual Report.
From: Committees on Arms Export Controls, First Joint Report - Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls (HC 282), paragraph 130, 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.