Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the ethical implications of supplying weapons and military support to the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.
Answered by Mike Freer
I can assure you that HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously. We assess all applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which take into account our obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and other relevant rules of international law. They provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to think hard about the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities.
In making our decisions on the exports of arms, we take advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many communications staff are employed (a) full time, (b) part time and (c) with flexible working arrangements in her Department.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Department for International Trade (DIT) employed 100 Civil Servants within the Communications and Marketing directorate as of 31 January 2022. In addition to the usual communications functions, DIT also has a crucial role in driving and generating business, trade and investment for UK business. Marketing campaigns led by the department in the UK and around the world promote British goods and services, and secure investment into the UK.
DIT is committed to supporting a variety of flexible working patterns, meaning that staff work several different patterns including full-time, part-time, flexitime and job-sharing. As part of DIT’s Smarter Working approach, hybrid working is also available to DIT employees.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much his Department spends on the employment of communications staff annually.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has an annual budget of £7.5m for the employment of Communication and Marketing staff in 2021/22.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Government’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, whether she has conducted a review of relevant licences following the 19 January 2022 bombings of the C-Plas and the Ibn Sina Hospitals in Amanat Al Asimah, Yemen; and whether any licences have been suspended or revoked as a result of that review.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
All licences – to all markets – are kept under careful and continual review and we are able to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require. An export licence will not be granted (or, if extant, it would be revoked) if it is incompatible with any of the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. This includes Criterion 2c, whether there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2021, HCWS449, on Trade Policy Update, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of new arms licensing criteria in preventing (a) internal repression and (b) the commission of violations of international humanitarian law.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The revised Criteria announced in the Written Statement of 8 December 2021, HCWS449, reflect the UK’s policy considerations and take into account a full range of factors including our international legal obligations including the Arms Trade Treaty.
HM Government is satisfied that the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework for assessing all export licence applications. With regard to internal repression and the commission of violations of international humanitarian law, the key tests are Criterion 2a and Criterion 2c. These criteria have not substantially changed; indeed they have been made stronger by the addition of “facilitation” within their scope.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December, HCWS449 on Trade Policy Update, whether the Government held (a) formal and (b) informal consultations with representatives of the defence industry in advance of that announcement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
When preparing the written statement of 8 December, HCWS449 which introduced the current Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, there were no advance formal or informal consultations with industry or representatives of industry.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to Written Statement of 8 December 2021, HCWS449 on Trade Policy Update, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of new licensing criteria on the likelihood of UK arms to be used in humanitarian contexts.
Answered by Mike Freer
HM Government takes its arms export responsibilities seriously and assesses export licence applications in accordance with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
These Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework for assessing export licence applications and require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. They maintain the high standards we and European partners share on internal repression, international humanitarian law and the upholding of international obligations more generally.
We will not license the export of equipment where to do so would be inconsistent with these Criteria.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of the amended proposal by the South African and Indian Governments to the World Trade Organisation to waive certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of covid-19.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
I refer the Hon. Gentleman for Stirling to the answer given to the Hon. Gentleman for Dundee West on 19th July (UIN: 31441)
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will support the South African and Indian Governments' amended proposal to the World Trade Organisation to waive certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of covid-19.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
I refer the Hon. Gentleman for Stirling to the answer given to the Hon. Gentleman for Dundee West on 19th July (UIN: 31441)
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value was of exports of arms and military equipment to (a) Afghanistan, (b) Bahrain, (c) Bangladesh, (d) Belarus, (e) Central African Republic, (f) China, (g) Colombia, (h) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, (i) Democratic Republic of Congo, (j) Egypt, (k) Eritrea, (l) Iran in 2020.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Such exports require an export licence, which are assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the “Consolidated Criteria”).
HM Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted, refused and revoked to all destinations on GOV.UK containing detailed information including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. The most recent publication was on 13th July 2021.