Scrutiny of Arms Export Controls (2009): UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2007, Quarterly Reports for 2008, licensing policy and review of export control legislation - Defence Committee Contents


Memorandum from Bill Rammell MP, then Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office

  Further to my letter of 30 April, I'm now writing with the answers to the remaining outstanding questions from the Evidence Session on 22 April.

ISRAEL

(i)   Has the Government refused any licence applications, 2002 to present, for the supply of components for F16s for use by Israeli Air Force?

  Yes. HMG has refused ten applications, for the supply of components for F16s direct to Israel for use by the Israeli Air Force. Licence applications have been refused on a number of grounds, including concerns under Criteria 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the EU and National Consolidated Licensing Criteria. I would note at this point that export licence applications can be refused using one or more of the criteria.

  The details of the licences in question are as follows: In 2003 two licences were refused (due to concerns under Criteria 2, 3 and 4). One licence was refused in both 2004 and 2005 (on each occasion citing concerns under Criteria 2, 3 and 4). In 2006 ten licences were refused (citing concerns under Criteria 2, 3, 4 and additionally Criteria 6). Finally in 2008 one licence was refused (on concerns relating to Criteria 2 and 3).

(ii)   Since 2002 to present there have been a small number of licences granted for F16's and Apaches where, although not going direct to Israel, we were aware that Israel was the ultimate end-user. Could you provide details of the "small number of licences", including dates when granted, where the Government knew that Israel was ultimate end-user?

  Details of the licences granted for F16 components are as follows:

    2002: One licence issued on 08/07/02;

    2003: Two licences issued on 03/01/03 and 31/07/03;

    2004: Two licences issued on 19/05/04 and 05/08/04;

    2005: Three licences issued on 05/01/05, 20/10/05 and 03/11/05;

    2006: One licence issued on 26/01/06.

  Details of those licences granted for Apache components are as follows:

    2003: Two licences issued on 15/10/2003 and 29/10/2003;

    2004: Two licences issued on 19/05/2004 and 23/09/2004;

    2005: Five licences issued on 15/08/2004;

    2006: One licence issued on 23/01/2006.

  The review of extant licences to Israel is still on-going, and we will inform the Committee once the outcome is known.

RE -EXPORTS

(iii)   Is it UK Policy that if a country to which we exported arms were to re-export them to another country subject to a UN or EU arms embargo, that would be the last time an export licence was granted to them?

  No. As I said during the session, future export licence applications would be considered on a case-by-case basis against the Criteria. Of course the past practices of the state concerned would inform our assessment, under the Criteria, of future export licence applications. If the recipient state had re-exported goods in breach of UN or EU arms embargoes then that would be taken into account under Criterion 6 (the behaviour of the buyer country with regard to the international community and respect for international law) and Criterion 7 (risk that the equipment will be re-exported under undesirable conditions) along with other applicable Criteria and the situation in the destination country at the time of the application.

ANTI-VEHICLES LAND-MINES

(iv)   Please give us the names of the 19 countries that went ahead and made a series of commitments, when international consensus on a joint declaration could not be achieved at the third review conference.

  25 countries have now aligned themselves with the statement, these are; Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. A copy of the statement is attached.

11 May 2009





 
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