Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what additional measures her Department is implementing to ensure that UK arms are not licensed or exported to contexts where they could be used to commit violations of international law.

The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities.  We examine every application on a case-by-case basis against strict criteria. Risks around human rights and international humanitarian law violations are a key part of our assessment. The Government will not grant a licence for items where we determine there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression or a serious violation of international humanitarian law.