Committees on Arms ExportsLetter to the Chair of the Committees from Rt Hon William Hague MP, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Thank you for your letters of 14 July, concerning the FCO Review of Export Control Policy, and of the 18 July concerning the Government’s Consolidated Response to the Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) Annual Report 2011.

On the FCO Review of Export Control Policy, you will now have seen the Written Ministerial Statement which was laid before Parliament on 18 July. This Statement provided Parliament with an update on the Review. In it, I stated the Review’s conclusion that further work is needed on how we operate certain aspects of our export controls. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has responsibility for our export licensing operations. He and I will consider how this should be done. Once that process is complete I will update the House on proposals, but I am unable to confirm exactly when this might happen at present.

In respect of your letter of the 18 July, I can confirm that the Government will provide answers to the questions that the CAEC have raised in Annexes A and B of that letter by 30 September, as you have requested. In addition, the Government will provide, by the same date, the supplementary responses to the CAECs’ Quarter 3 and Quarter 4 2010 questions, that you requested during your meeting with FCO and BIS officials on the 21 July.

I understand from the officials involved that this was a very positive and constructive meeting, and that officials from both the FCO and BIS will be working even more closely with the CAEC and its officials over the coming months to ensure that the information flow on arms export controls is as efficient and transparent as possible.

30 July 2011