Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Arms Trade Treaty in controlling the movement of arms in Africa.

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is the only legally binding international conventional arms control treaty. It seeks to establish the highest possible common international standards for regulating the trade in conventional arms. By promoting consistent standards and enhancing transparency, the ATT can tackle the illicit transfer of arms, including in Africa. However, the Treaty can only achieve its goal if it is fully and universally implemented. Twenty-six African states are States Parties to the ATT; the UK continues to call on states that have not yet done so to accede to the Treaty. The UK strongly supports the ATT's Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF), which supports Treaty implementation. The UK has donated £311,000 to the fund and has served as a member of the VTF Selection Committee since the fund's inception.