Submission from Campaign Against the Arms
Trade
I am writing to urge the Foreign Affairs Committee
to undertake a brief inquiry into the Government's proposals for
Promoting High Standards of Conduct by Private Military and
Security Companies Internationally. The Campaign Against Arms
Trade will be responding to the Government's consultation, but
thinks its proposals are a total dereliction of duty. Responsibility
has been abdicated to a trade association.
Your Committee did excellent work on this issue in
2002 and it would assist the debate if it considered the matter
again now. I understood from a telephone from the Second Clerk
on 18 May that the Government's proposals were to have been considered
on 20 May, even though your Human Rights inquiry has a rather
narrower remit. (The PMSC are not only used by FCO and UK posts
overseas.) That evidence session was, of course, cancelled.
I would suggest that you hold at least one hearing
totally devoted to PMSCs and their regulation.
22 May 2009
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