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Tighter controls on arms exports needed

Summary

In this Report ‘Strategic Export Controls: 2007 Review’ (HC 117), the Quadripartite Committee calls for tighter controls on UK arms export trade.

In June 2007 the Government published a consultation document 'Export Control Act 2002: 2007 Review of Export Control Legislation' (Available to download). This Report sets out the Quadripartite Committee's own review of export control legislation, along with its response to the Government's consultation document.

The Committee concludes that the Export Control Act 2002 has provided a sound legislative basis for controlling and regulating the UK's strategic exports but that there are gaps and shortcomings.

It also welcomes the Government's review as a constructive process that addresses many of the issues the Committee and other parties have raised over several years and praises the improvement in the volume and quantity of information that the Government provides.

However the Committee finds that the Government's review does not mention HM Revenue and Customs, the department that enforces the controls, and ignores the European Union (EU) dimension despite a significant part of the export control regime being derived from EU legislation.

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Law-Making Explained

This is a House of Commons Paper (HC 117 2006-07): it is a Report from the Quadripartite Committee.

Find out more about Select Committees.

How does it affect me?

If you work in the UK arms export trade, or are interested in how the arms export sector is regulated or in export controls generally, this affects you.

The Committee makes nearly 100 recommendations and observations on the review and on the operation and effectiveness of the UK export control legislation.

Have Your Say Now

The Quadripartite Committee consists of the House of Commons Defence Committee, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, the House of Commons International Development Committee and the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee.

See more on import and export policy on the HM Revenue and Customs website.

See full details of the June 2007 Export Control consultation.


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