Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Patricia Gibson and Michael Fallon

Monday 18th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP)]

Does the Secretary of State have any moral concerns about the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, given its shocking record on human rights and the fact that Amnesty International and others have documented a clear risk of UK arms being used to breach international humanitarian law?

[Michael Fallon]

The United Kingdom has some of the strictest arms export criteria in the world, and where any of our arms are exported we are obviously concerned that their use should be in full compliance with international humanitarian law. That is something I discuss regularly with my counterpart, the deputy crown prince, the Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia, and my other colleagues.