Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of whether locating DSO, which promotes arms exports, and ECJU, which controls arms exports, in the same Department has created a potential conflict of interest.

The Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) and Export Control Joint Unit conduct their business entirely separately. DSO is not involved or consulted in export licensing decisions.

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. We will not grant a licence if to do so would be inconsistent with these Criteria.

We do not believe that co-location within the DIT creates any conflicts of interest.