Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK technology companies working with Israeli companies in the (a) defence and (b) surveillance sectors comply with UK (i) human rights and (ii) export control policies.

Where an item, including technology, is specified in the UK’s Strategic Export Control list, its export or transfer by electronic means is subject to export control. Exporters of such items must seek an export licence from the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), who assess applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

These criteria include ‘respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms’, and consideration of where there is a clear risk an export may be used to commit or facilitate internal repression, or a serious breach of international humanitarian law.

All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.