Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use when deciding whether to permit sales of military equipment to the government of Saudi Arabia; and whether they anticipate the outcome of investigations into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi to affect such criteria.

Export licence applications are carefully assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. A licence would not be granted if to do so was inconsistent with the Criteria. The policy remains as announced to parliament in a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm140325/wmstext/140325m0001.htm#14032566000018.

The key test for the Government for our continued military exports to Saudi Arabia in relation to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is whether there is a clear risk that those items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL.

The situation in Saudi Arabia is kept under careful review and decisions are made on a case by case basis.