Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-10-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that UK weapons are not used in strikes that constitute serious violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent arms export control regimes in the world. All defence and dual-use exports are required to meet the UK’s strict export control legislation and adhere to the UK international commitments, including international treaties and obligations. We do not issue an export licence if there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law, and we take account of any risk that the goods might be diverted to undesirable end-users or end-use.