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| UK arms export licences for Russia still in place despite claims of embargo - report | UK arms export licences for Russia still in place despite claims of embargo - report |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| More than 200 licences to sell British weapons to Russia, including missile-launching equipment, are still in place despite David Cameron's claim in the Commons on Monday that the government had imposed an absolute arms embargo against the country, according to a report by a cross-party group of MPs released on Wednesday. | More than 200 licences to sell British weapons to Russia, including missile-launching equipment, are still in place despite David Cameron's claim in the Commons on Monday that the government had imposed an absolute arms embargo against the country, according to a report by a cross-party group of MPs released on Wednesday. |
| A large number of British weapons and military components which the MPs say are still approved for Russia are contained in a hard-hitting report by four Commons committees scrutinising arms export controls. | A large number of British weapons and military components which the MPs say are still approved for Russia are contained in a hard-hitting report by four Commons committees scrutinising arms export controls. |
| Existing arms export licences for Russia cover equipment for launching and controlling missiles, components for military helicopters and surface-launched rockets, small arms ammunition, sniper rifles, body armour, and military communications equipment, the committee says. They also include licences for night sights for weapons, components for operating military aircraft in confined spaces, and surface-to-surface missiles. | |
| The MPs demand tighter controls on weapons sales to authoritarian regimes, saying that more than 3,000 export licences for arms worth £12bn were approved for 28 countries cited by the Foreign Office for their poor human rights records. They include Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sri Lanka. | The MPs demand tighter controls on weapons sales to authoritarian regimes, saying that more than 3,000 export licences for arms worth £12bn were approved for 28 countries cited by the Foreign Office for their poor human rights records. They include Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sri Lanka. |
| Sir John Stanley, former Conservative defence secretary and chairman of the Commons arms control committees, said there was evidence that appeared to directly contradict the prime minister's claim that he had already stopped all arms exports to Russia. | Sir John Stanley, former Conservative defence secretary and chairman of the Commons arms control committees, said there was evidence that appeared to directly contradict the prime minister's claim that he had already stopped all arms exports to Russia. |
| Stanley told the Guardian that the prime minister's statement appeared to be a "major policy change". | Stanley told the Guardian that the prime minister's statement appeared to be a "major policy change". |
| Stanley had already written to Philip Hammond, the new foreign secretary, asking him to explain why, according to official figures given to the MPs, of 285 current licences for Russia, only 34 had been suspended or revoked. | Stanley had already written to Philip Hammond, the new foreign secretary, asking him to explain why, according to official figures given to the MPs, of 285 current licences for Russia, only 34 had been suspended or revoked. |
| They cover items worth at least £132m but almost certainly significantly more since equipment approved by "open licences" is not counted individually. | They cover items worth at least £132m but almost certainly significantly more since equipment approved by "open licences" is not counted individually. |
| Stanley referred to a carefully-worded statement to the Commons by William Hague on 18 March, when the then foreign secretary said the UK would immediately suspend licences just for items "destined for units of the Russian armed forces or other state agencies which could be or are being deployed against Ukraine". | Stanley referred to a carefully-worded statement to the Commons by William Hague on 18 March, when the then foreign secretary said the UK would immediately suspend licences just for items "destined for units of the Russian armed forces or other state agencies which could be or are being deployed against Ukraine". |
| In the Commons on Monday Cameron told MPs: "Future military sales from any country in Europe should not be going ahead. We have already stopped them from Britain." | In the Commons on Monday Cameron told MPs: "Future military sales from any country in Europe should not be going ahead. We have already stopped them from Britain." |
| The prime minister added: "On the issue of defence equipment, we already unilaterally said – as did the US – that we would not sell further arms to Russia; we believe other European countries should do the same." | The prime minister added: "On the issue of defence equipment, we already unilaterally said – as did the US – that we would not sell further arms to Russia; we believe other European countries should do the same." |
| These statements are at odds with the information given to MPs on his committees, Stanley made clear. | These statements are at odds with the information given to MPs on his committees, Stanley made clear. |
| The MPs also say the government "would do well to acknowledge that there is an inherent conflict between strongly promoting arms exports to authoritarian regimes whilst strongly criticising their lack of human rights". | The MPs also say the government "would do well to acknowledge that there is an inherent conflict between strongly promoting arms exports to authoritarian regimes whilst strongly criticising their lack of human rights". |
| It asks the government to explain why it has approved arms exports to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories including for "anti-riot/ballistic shields", components for combat vehicles, small arms, sniper rifles, and military communications equipment. | It asks the government to explain why it has approved arms exports to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories including for "anti-riot/ballistic shields", components for combat vehicles, small arms, sniper rifles, and military communications equipment. |
| The MPs say they have been unable to complete a report of its detailed scrutiny of government policy since 2004 on the export to Syria of dual-use chemicals that could be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons. | The MPs say they have been unable to complete a report of its detailed scrutiny of government policy since 2004 on the export to Syria of dual-use chemicals that could be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons. |
| They say the government has refused to disclose the names of the companies to whom export licences were granted unless the MPs undertook to take evidence from the companies in private. | They say the government has refused to disclose the names of the companies to whom export licences were granted unless the MPs undertook to take evidence from the companies in private. |
| They describe the Labour government's decision to approve five export licences to Syria for chemicals which could be used for weapons between July 2004 and May 2010 as "highly questionable". The decision of the coalition government to approve two export licences for dual-use chemicals to Syria in January 2012 after the civil war had started in Syria in 2011 "was irresponsible", the report adds. | They describe the Labour government's decision to approve five export licences to Syria for chemicals which could be used for weapons between July 2004 and May 2010 as "highly questionable". The decision of the coalition government to approve two export licences for dual-use chemicals to Syria in January 2012 after the civil war had started in Syria in 2011 "was irresponsible", the report adds. |
| It says the most significant change in the government's policy on arms exports over the past year is the dropping of the wording in the arms sales criteria that: "An export licence will not be issued if the arguments for doing so are outweighed … by concern that the goods might be used for internal repression". | It says the most significant change in the government's policy on arms exports over the past year is the dropping of the wording in the arms sales criteria that: "An export licence will not be issued if the arguments for doing so are outweighed … by concern that the goods might be used for internal repression". |
| That wording "represents an important safeguard against UK arms exports being used for internal repression" and should be reinstated, the MPs say. | That wording "represents an important safeguard against UK arms exports being used for internal repression" and should be reinstated, the MPs say. |
| The government "should apply significantly more cautious judgments when considering arms export licence applications for goods to authoritarian regimes which might be used for internal repression", the report by the four Commons committees concerned with arms exports – business, defence, foreign affairs and international development – concludes. | The government "should apply significantly more cautious judgments when considering arms export licence applications for goods to authoritarian regimes which might be used for internal repression", the report by the four Commons committees concerned with arms exports – business, defence, foreign affairs and international development – concludes. |
| On Tuesday night a UK government spokesperson said: "This government has never exported missiles or missile parts to the Russian military. The UK has granted an export licence for the Brazilian navy which enables their vessels to be repaired in 23 countries around the world, including Russia. This covers a wide range of equipment, including components for navy vessel missile launchers but these are exclusively for use by the Brazilian navy and not by Russian forces." | On Tuesday night a UK government spokesperson said: "This government has never exported missiles or missile parts to the Russian military. The UK has granted an export licence for the Brazilian navy which enables their vessels to be repaired in 23 countries around the world, including Russia. This covers a wide range of equipment, including components for navy vessel missile launchers but these are exclusively for use by the Brazilian navy and not by Russian forces." |
| The spokesperson added: "In March the former foreign secretary announced the suspension of all export licences to the Russian armed forces for any equipment that could be used against Ukraine. This report covers exports in 2013 before the suspension was in place. The majority of export licences that remain in place for Russia are for commercial use but we are keeping all licences under review." | The spokesperson added: "In March the former foreign secretary announced the suspension of all export licences to the Russian armed forces for any equipment that could be used against Ukraine. This report covers exports in 2013 before the suspension was in place. The majority of export licences that remain in place for Russia are for commercial use but we are keeping all licences under review." |
| The spokesperson continued: "We will not a grant a licence where there is a clear risk the equipment might be used for internal repression." | The spokesperson continued: "We will not a grant a licence where there is a clear risk the equipment might be used for internal repression." |
| • This article was amended on 23 July 2014 to correct a sites/sights homophone. |