Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has issued advice against the recommendation of lawyers or officials in her Department to the Department for International Trade on the issuance of arms licences for export of arms and services to Saudi Arabia.

The Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. The Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.  All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.