Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has assessed if there is a clear risk that arms exports licensed by the UK government might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law by Israel in Iran.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Prime Minister has been clear that the conflict in the Middle East is not our war. We are responding to this crisis with clear and calm leadership to protect our national interests without being drawn in to the conflict.
Export licence applications are rigorously assessed against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including criterion 2(c) which states that we will not grant a licence if there is a clear risk that the items under that licence might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. We also keep all existing licences under continual review on the same basis. This means that all these issues are kept under continuous review.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has assessed if there is a clear risk that arms exports licensed by the UK government might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law by Israel in Lebanon.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Prime Minister has been clear that the conflict in the Middle East is not our war. We are responding to this crisis with clear and calm leadership to protect our national interests without being drawn in to the conflict.
Export licence applications are rigorously assessed against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including criterion 2(c) which states that we will not grant a licence if there is a clear risk that the items under that licence might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. We also keep all existing licences under continual review on the same basis. This means that all these issues are kept under continuous review.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has assessed if there is a clear risk that arms exports licensed by the UK government might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law by the US in Iran.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Prime Minister has been clear that the conflict in the Middle East is not our war. We are responding to this crisis with clear and calm leadership to protect our national interests without being drawn in to the conflict.
Export licence applications are rigorously assessed against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including criterion 2(c) which states that we will not grant a licence if there is a clear risk that the items under that licence might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law. We also keep all existing licences under continual review on the same basis. This means that all these issues are kept under continuous review.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61511 on F-35 Aircraft: Israel, whether his Department holds a list of military exports transiting the UK that do not require a licence; and whether the decision on whether a license is needed is made by the ECJU or another body.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Military exports transiting the UK do not require a licence if they comply with certain handling conditions, do not include specific goods and are not bound for specific destinations, as set out in Article 17 of the Export Control Order 2008. Consequently, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not hold any information on these transhipments.
DBT receives advice from multiple government departments when assessing whether exports require a licence, and in reviewing export licence applications. DBT is the decision-making authority and has ultimate responsibility for all export licensing decisions.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the transportation of F-35 parts from London Stansted Airport to Israel.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
DBT publishes data on the licences granted for the export of controlled goods. Enquiries related to data on the final exports of specific products should be referred to HMRC.
In September, we suspended direct exports of F-35 components from the UK to Israel, where these are for use by Israel (and not for re-export from Israeli suppliers to the global F-35 programme).
Military exports transiting the UK do not require a licence if they comply with certain handling conditions, do not include specific goods and are not bound for specific destinations, as set out in Article 17 of the Export Control Order 2008.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish the Research Report: Long-Range Shootings or Shootings of Minors included in evidence in the case of Al-Haq v Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
We do not comment on live litigation.
The Foreign Secretary has determined that Israel is not committed to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in operations in Gaza. A summary of the assessment resulting in the September suspension decision can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account/summary-of-the-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has shared legal advice from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law with representatives of her workforce within (a) the Public and Commercial Services Union and (b) other unions.
Answered by Alan Mak
FCDO advice informs decisions made by the Department for Business and Trade Secretary of State as the decision-making authority. The content of this advice is confidential. Union membership is a matter for individual staff members and does not alter the manner in which teams work in the Civil Service.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has received reports from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law since January 29 2024.
Answered by Alan Mak
The Government periodically reviews advice on Israel's overall commitment to International Humanitarian Law, and Ministers act in accordance with that advice.
On 8 April 2024, following advice from the Foreign Secretary, the Business and Trade Secretary took the decision that our position on export licences would remain unchanged. This was consistent with the advice Ministers received. We are keeping all licences for Israel under careful review.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 22087 on Elbit Systems UK: Exports, whether she holds information on the type of items approved for export under the temporary Standard Individual Export Licence granted to Elbit Systems Limited in Israel; and whether those items were used in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Alan Mak
The items licensed for export under the temporary Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) were intended for flight trials and testing. Items exported under a temporary SIEL must be returned to the UK within 12 months of the date on which the licence was granted.
We are monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza very closely. All licences are kept under careful and continual review, and we are able to amend, suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 22087 on Elbit Systems UK: Exports, whether the items approved for export under the temporary standard individual export licence granted to Elbit Systems Limited in Israel are used in the Hermes 450 drone.
Answered by Alan Mak
The items licensed for export under the temporary Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) were intended for flight trials and testing. Items exported under a temporary SIEL must be returned to the UK within 12 months of the date on which the licence was granted.
We are monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza very closely. All licences are kept under careful and continual review, and we are able to amend, suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.