Memorandum from Bill Rammell MP, then
Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
ISRAEL: UPDATE
ON UK STRATEGIC
EXPORT CONTROLS
I am writing to follow up our telephone conversation
about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's plans to issue a Written
Ministerial Statement, on "Israel: Update on UK Strategic
Export Controls" on Tuesday 21 April.
Due to the complexities of the task and the
recent two-week recess, we are only now in a position to provide
an update to the briefing the Foreign Secretary gave to the House
on 19 January. We wanted to take advantage of the session
on Wednesday 22 April to discuss this with the Committee.
Since the start of Israeli "Operation Cast
Lead" on 27 December, we have sought to assess what
equipment was used by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), and whether
UK supplied equipment might have been used by the IDF during the
recent conflict in Gaza. We are aware of the level of interest
in Gaza in Parliament, the media and by members of the public.
When the Foreign Secretary answered questions in Parliament on
19 January it was not completely clear what equipment had
been used.
We wanted to share with Parliament the information
we have been able to gather. Since the conflict ended we have
been working to complete an assessment and will now make a Written
Ministerial Statement to ensure the utmost transparency on this
issue. This has taken time because we wanted to ensure that we
had the most complete information.
The Ministerial Statement will take the following
format.
Firstly: Our assessment of the equipment used
by the IDF in relation to Operation Cast Lead which—contrary
to reports in the Press and elsewhere—we do not believe
contained components supplied under licence in the UK. This will
cover UAVs and Armoured Vehicles.
Secondly: Israeli equipment which may have been
involved in Operation Cast Lead and may have contained British-supplied
components.
Thirdly: Israeli equipment that was used in
Operation Cast Lead and which almost certainly contained British-components.
These fall broadly into two categories—equipment for incorporation
through the USA and components for a 76mm gun for the Saar 4.5 naval
vessel.
20 April 2009
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