12 Nov 21. Defence Committee holds next session in Afghanistan inquiry. On 16 November, at 14.30, the Defence Committee continues its inquiry into Afghanistan, with representatives from RUSI, IISS, the Sulha Alliance and the Afghan Solidarity Coalition. The session will likely analyse the UK’s military decisions following the Doha Agreement, the reasons behind the fall of the Afghan Government and the military role in evacuation. The session is likely to also take a forward look at the future of Afghanistan and the potential for global terrorism to again originate from the country. The session may also cover the situation for those left behind and the growing humanitarian crisis. Representatives from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Sulha Alliance and the Afghanistan Solidarity Coalition will be appearing. RUSI is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank. IISS is an international research institute providing information on military, geopolitical and geo-economic developments. The Sulha Alliance was founded in 2016 to campaign for and support former Afghan interpreters, and other Locally Employed Civilians (LECs), who had worked for the British Armed Forces, and their families. The Afghan Solidarity Coalition is a grouping of organisations that have been working on research and peace-building activities with local partners in Afghanistan.
14.30, 16 November
- Dr Jack Watling, Research Fellow for Land Warfare, RUSI
- Brigadier (ret.) Ben Barry, Senior Fellow for Land Warfare, IISS
15.30
- Dr Sara de Jong, Representative, The Sulha Alliance
- Professor Brad Blitz, Representative, Afghan Solidarity Coalition
- Dr Neelam Raina, Representative, Afghan Solidarity Coalition
11 Nov 21. The Committees on Arms Export Controls will hold a further oral evidence session for its inquiry into UK arms exports in 2019 on Tuesday 16 November 2021.
The meeting will hybrid with the witnesses appearing virtually and can be watched live here. The Committees will take evidence from:
At 10.00am:
- Richard Las, Head of Operations, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC
- Joanne Cheetham, Deputy Director, Customs and Borders Design, HMRC
This is the fifth evidence session in the Committees’ inquiry into UK Arms Exports in 2019. This session with HMRC officials is likely to cover:
- The UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Reports for 2019 and 2020;
- The role of HMRC in enforcement of, and compliance with, export controls and sanctions;
- Potential HMRC involvement in a UK system of post-shipment verification; and
- Potential impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on the enforcement of strategic export controls and sanctions.
Watch the meeting live here: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Guide
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Shipping: Exports
Question for Department for International Trade
Question
Bob Blackman
Conservative
Harrow East
Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications of the Autumn Budget 2021 for the establishment of the proposed Maritime Capability Campaign Office.
Answer
Mike Freer
Conservative
Finchley and Golders Green
Commons
Answered on 8 November 2021
Maritime featured prominently in the Autumn Budget and Spending Review while maritime exports are important both for a thriving UK sector and delivery of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy. The Government will provide more detail on its plans for the maritime sector under the National Shipbuilding Strategy later this year.