Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for International Trade

Oral Answers to Questions

Karen Lee Excerpts
Thursday 17th May 2018

(5 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Karen Lee Portrait Karen Lee (Lincoln) (Lab)
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T3. In 2017, Britain sold £216 million worth of military contracts and supplies to Israel and £571 million worth to Turkey. The disproportionate use of deadly force by those nations against Palestinian and Kurdish citizens has been rightly condemned. Does the Minister agree that the UK needs a transparent and human rights-oriented arms trade to ensure that this country does not enable brutal attacks to be made on civilians?

Graham Stuart Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade (Graham Stuart)
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All export licence applications are rigorously assessed, case by case, against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. No licence will be granted if there is a clear risk that the equipment might be used for internal repression, or in a serious violation of international humanitarian law. However, we continue to monitor the situation in Israel and Gaza closely.