Arms Export Licences (Saudi Arabia) Debate

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Department: Department for International Trade

Chuka Umunna

Main Page: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)

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Arms Export Licences (Saudi Arabia)

Chuka Umunna Excerpts

Prime Minister's Role in Creating a Safe Environment
Thursday 26th September 2019

(5 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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My hon. Friend is right that we play a significant role in terms of aid to Yemen—we have provided £770 million-worth—and it is important that we work through the UN, to which the Foreign Secretary is committed, to seek as quickly as possible an end to conflict in Yemen.

Chuka Umunna Portrait Chuka Umunna (Streatham) (LD)
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When Court orders are contravened a couple of times, it can perhaps be dismissed as a failure to follow procedures, but when it happens on multiple occasions, it suggests that there is a systemic problem; the system is not working. Will the Secretary of State look at implementing a policy of the presumption of denial in respect of all export licences to countries listed as human rights priorities on the annual Foreign Office human rights report, so that those exports to those countries would be banned in the first instance?

Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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To be clear for the hon. Gentleman, it was on 12 September that the errors were identified within the Department and notified to me. We then notified the Court and immediately conducted an internal review of all the licences already issued. All these issues relate to decisions that were made before 12 September, and that is why we have put in place the new interim procedure.

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