Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which (a) Government department and (b) body is responsible for (i) assessing and (ii) authorising arms export applications.

The Export Control Organisation within the Department for International Trade is the UK’s licensing authority for military and dual use exports, and the Secretary of State for International Trade is responsible for decisions to grant or refuse export licences. These decisions are always informed by assessments carried out against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria by a number of advisory Government Departments.

I refer the hon Member for Birmingham, Hall Green to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West on 25 April 2017, UIN: 70268.