3 The Committees' Report of 2012-13
(HC 205)
The Committees' Report (HC 205)
and the Government's Response (Cm8707)
12. The Committees' last Report (HC 205), published
in July 2013, was in 3 volumes. Volume I (which was printed) contained
a summary and the Committees' Conclusions and Recommendations;
Volume II, the bulk of the Report, took the form of evidence from
the Chairman to the Committees and was published on the internet;
and Volume III contained both oral and written evidence, was also
published on the internet.[13]
13. The Committees' Conclusion and Recommendation
on the timeliness of the Government's Response (Cm8707) to the
Committees' 2013 Report (HC 205) were as follows:
The Committees' Conclusion and Recommendation:
The Committees conclude that as their 2012
Report (HC 419) was published on 13 July 2012 and as the Government's
Response (Cm8441) was published in October 2012 and did not defer
the responses to any of the Committees' recommendations, the Government
has achieved a welcome improvement in the timelines of its Responses
to the Committees' Report. The Committees recommend that this
improvement is maintained.[14]
The Government's Response:
The Government notes the conclusion and will,
as always, endeavour to provide timely and detailed responses
to the CAEC.[15]
14. The Government's Response (Cm8707) to the
Committees' July 2013 Report was published in October 2013.[16]
The Government stated that it would provide further information
or update the Committees on 3 of its Recommendations on the following
subjects below:
- International Development (Para 60 of the
Committees' Report)
- Overseas Security and Justice Assistance
(OSJA) Human Rights Guidance (Para 87 of the Committees' Report)
- Exports of gifted equipment (Para 96 of
the Committees' Report)
The Government provided the Committees with the
updated version of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance
(OSJA) Human Rights Guidance when it was published in February
2014 and continued to notify the Committees of notification of
exports of gifted equipment throughout the year. However, there
was a significant delay within the Department for International
development in providing the Committees with its promised update
of its role in arms export controls. This is dealt with in more
detail in paragraphs 173-175 below.
15. I propose that the Committees conclude that
as its 2013 Report (HC 205) was published on 17 July
2013 and as the Government's Response (Cm8707) was published in
October 2012 and only had three deferred responses to the Committees'
Recommendations, the Government has broadly maintained the improvement
made in the previous year in the timeliness of its responses to
the Committees Report. The Committees recommend that this improvement
is maintained.
13 See the Committees' website at http://www.parliament.uk/caeccomm Back
14
HC (2013-14) 205, para 35 Back
15
Cm8707, p 1 Back
16
Cm8707 Back
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