Tania Mathias – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tania Mathias on 2016-01-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how his Department monitors the use of UK-manufactured arms by those countries to which they are sold.

Anna Soubry

All export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all relevant factors at the time of application. We draw on all available information, including checks using both open and classified sources, reports from non-government organisations and our overseas network, involving Desk and Post in the Foreign Office, when considering licence applications.

Foreign Office posts and departments in London monitor conditions in the respective countries – including human rights, regional tensions and the risk of exports being diverted to unintended end use – and advise on developments that might affect licensing policy.