Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of prohibiting the sale of weapons including water cannons, tear gas and batons to India which could be used against peaceful protestors.

HM Government takes its export control responsibilities extremely seriously. All export licences are assessed in accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the ‘Consolidated Criteria’). For items that require an export licence, the Consolidated Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.