Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason his officials in the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) did not inform officials from the Department of International Trade based in that unit until 29 July 2019, when the ECJU approved the arms export licence for the RSLF, that the RSLF were deployed to Yemen.

The Secretary of State for International Trade unreservedly apologised for the export licences that were issued in error. The Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Trade has commissioned, on behalf of the Secretary of State for International Trade, a full investigation to be conducted to: (i) establish the precise circumstances in which these licences were granted; (ii) establish whether any other licences have been granted in breach of the undertaking to the Court or the commitment to Parliament; and (iii) confirm that procedures are in place to ensure that no further such breaches can occur. The investigation is ongoing and decisions on next steps will be made when it has concluded.

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