Just how ‘careful’ is the UK’s arms export licensing system?
“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the UK’s ‘careful export licensing regime’ amid calls for the UK to stop arms exports to Israel” Press Association, April 3.
Recently an all-party parliamentary committee condemned the Government for being secretive about how it grants arms export licenses. But it is no secret that the UK has sold Saudi Arabia bombs and bombers worth £23bn for its war in Yemen.
What does Britain export?
THE UK is one of the biggest arms exporters in the world. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the UK was the seventh largest exporter of major conventional weapons between 2018 and 2022. According to the House of Commons Library, the UK won foreign defence orders worth £12bn in 2022. This was a £4.6bn increase on the previous year. UK defence exports are dominated by the aerospace sector, which accounted for 68% of the total value of UK defence exports between 2018 to 2022.
What rules govern arms exporting?
THE legislative framework for the UK’s export controls is found in the Export Control Act 2002 and the Export Control Order 2008.
Any British company wanting to export military or dual-use (ie that could have both military or civilian use) goods to other nations must apply for a licence from the Government. Licensing covers not just physical goods but software and technology. These licenses are issued by the so-called Export Control Unit (ECJU) within the Department for Business and Trade.
The ECJU assesses licence applications against statutory Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Theoretically, these criteria are supposed to reflect the UK’s obligations under international law, and the risk goods might be used in violating human rights, for example torture, or for internal repression.
Do the controls work? NOTWITHSTANDING the Government’s view that it “operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world”, there are many who question the export of military equipment to countries with poor human rights records or who may be involved in conflict.
For instance, the Campaign against Arms Trade (CAAT), which calls for