UK arms trade in the spotlight as export control report goes under the microscope
Arms exports to countries such as Saudi Arabia have long been controversial, as UK parliamentary committee reviews current practices.
A trio of civil society organisations have criticised the UK government’s recent report into arms exports controls, which details the regulatory protocols that defence firms have to follow in order to legally sell equipment to foreign countries.
Published on 1 December, the ‘Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2019’ states the Export Control Joint Unit processed around 15,800 Standard Individual Export Licence applications and had carried out enforcement action ‘where necessary’.
A company seeking to export military technology is required to obtain a licence if it is on the UK military or national control lists, or on lists of controlled items
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