Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the conclusion of the US-led joint declaration on the export and subsequent use of armed or strike-enabled UAVs, what steps the Government taking to develop those standards.

The UK signed a 'Joint Declaration on the Export & Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)' on 5 October 2016, along with 52 other States. The UK already has a robust set of export controls in place in relation to UAVs. Following the Joint Declaration, we are in discussion with a number of countries about developing a set of international best practice standards regarding the export of armed or strike-enabled UAVs. These discussions are continuing; it is not yet clear when they will conclude.