Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether any Thor drones have been exported from the UK by Elbit Systems UK to partner companies in Israel.

Exports of these items from the UK would be subject to an export licence. Our records indicate that we have not issued any individual export licences for Israel to the company for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) referenced.

The company is also registered to two Open General Export Licences which in theory permit exports of UAVs to Israel, among other countries. The licences in question however only relate to transfers in support of UK Government defence contracts (e.g. for products that are then delivered back to the UK), or for the return of military goods that have been temporarily imported into the UK for exhibition or demonstration purposes.

As the Secretary of State announced to Parliament on 2 September, we have suspended export licences for Israel for military goods which could be used by the IDF in military operations in Gaza.