20 Jan 12. PUBLICATION OF REPORT. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2010–11. The Defence Committee published a report on the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2010–11 at 00.01 am (BST) on Wednesday 25 January. This will be the Committee’s Eighth Report of Session 2010–12 (HC 1635). The report was made available on the Committee’s website, www.parliament.uk/defcom, on Wednesday 25 January and copies may be purchased from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge Street, Westminster, London, SW1A 2JX) on the day of release.
20 Jan 12. Select Committee Announcement. The Committees publish the Government’s responses to questions raised by the Committees relating to arms export controls. The Chairman of the Committees on Arms Export Controls, Sir John Stanley, wrote to the Foreign Secretary, on 18 July, requesting answers to questions the Committees raised in relation to the Government’s response (Cm 8079) to the Committees’ Report of 5 April 2010 (Scrutiny of Arms Export Controls (2011): UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report, Quarterly Reports for 2010, licencing policy and review of export control legislation, HC 686). The Committees requested answers to questions relating to the review of Government policy and practice with regard to the export of equipment that might be used for internal repression.
The Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon William Hague MP, replied to the Committees on 30 September 2011. Here are the Chairman’s letter and attachments, and the Foreign Secretary’s reply and attachments:
* Letter from Chairman of the Committees to the Foreign Secretary (dated 18 July 2011)
* Annex A to the Chairman’s letter to the Foreign Secretary (dated 18 July 2011)
* Annex B to the Chairman’s letter to the Foreign Secretary (dated 18 July 2011)
* Covering letter from the Foreign Secretary to the Chairman of the Committees (dated 30 September 2011)
* Annex A – questions relating to CM 8079
* Annex B – Questions relating to the review of Government policy and practice with regard to the export of equipment that might be used for internal repression
* A link to the EU Green paper on “The dual-use export control system of the European Union: ensuring security and competiveness in a changing world
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2011/june/tradoc_148020.pdf
* A letter from Department of Business, Innovation and Skills Minister, Mark Prisk MP, to Baroness Ashton regarding the export of drugs to the United States for the purpose of lethal injection (dated 12 April 2011)
* Table 1 – SIEL revocations since 18 February 2011
* Table 2 – OIEL revocations since 18 February 2011
* Table 3(a) – All extant SIELs
* Table 3(b) – Extant Military SIELs
* Table 4 – Extant OIELs
* Table 4(b) – Extant Military OIELs[1]
The Chairman of the Committees, Sir John Stanley, said “Annex A and Annex B to the Foreign Secretary’s letter provide a very substantial body of information about UK arms exports and about the Government’s policies in this important area. However, the material in Annex B also brings to light new questions and apparent contradictions in arms export approvals and revocations to countries in North Africa and the Middle East that require further scrutiny. I have therefore sent a letter asking further questions to the Foreign Secretary.”
A copy of the letter that Sir John Stanley has sent to the Foreign Secretary on 16 January 2012 is also attached.
* Letter and annex from Chairman of the Committees to the Foreign Secretary (dated 16 January 2011)
18 Jan 12. NEW INQUIRY: Defence and cyber-security. The Defence Committe announced the second of a series of inquiries looking at developing threats facing UK defence. Following the Committee’s inquiry into electromagnetic pulse activity, this inquiry will survey the issue of cyber-security as it relates to the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. The National Security Strategy identified cyber-security as one of the ‘tier one’ risks to national