Read on Twitter
It& #39;s been **700 DAYS** since the @CommonsCAEC committee published a report.
That& #39;s a very long time!
@Tobias_Ellwood, @TomTugendhat, @AngusMacNeilSNP, @SarahChampionMP maybe time to check-in & see what deadly weapons the UK has been exporting in the last few yrs?
That& #39;s a very long time!
@Tobias_Ellwood, @TomTugendhat, @AngusMacNeilSNP, @SarahChampionMP maybe time to check-in & see what deadly weapons the UK has been exporting in the last few yrs?
. @CommonsCAEC is a conglomerate of 4 committees: Defence; Foreign Affairs; Int. Dev; and Int. Trade. It dissolved with Parliament on 6 Nov & has yet to be re-established in current parliament **DESPITE** its 4 constituent committees all managing to work around COVID disruptions.
...altho...not sure how effective @CommonsCAEC has been in recent yrs when it DOES happen to be up & running:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 392 days since last meeting
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 504 days since last *quorate* meeting
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 700 days since publishing a report
Fairly sure these are right - workings attached ;-)
Fairly sure these are right - workings attached ;-)
392 days since last meetinghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 504 days since last *quorate* meetinghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 700 days since publishing a report Fairly sure these are right - workings attached ;-)" title="...altho...not sure how effective @CommonsCAEC has been in recent yrs when it DOES happen to be up & running:https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 392 days since last meetinghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 504 days since last *quorate* meetinghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙄" title="Gesicht mit rollenden Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit rollenden Augen"> 700 days since publishing a report Fairly sure these are right - workings attached ;-)" class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
The one & only report published in yrs (released almost 24 months ago) scrutinised export licences for 2016...so add 18 months to this for a grand total of almost THREE AND A HALF YEARS for the most recent window of export licences formally scrutinised by UK parliament...
In the meantime...where to begin(!)...lets go for some lowlights from the last 12 months:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧐" title="Gesicht mit Monokel" aria-label="Emoji: Gesicht mit Monokel">Sept 2019 - The Secretary of State for Int Trade admits 3 breeches of Appeal Court order banning sales of weapons to Saudi Arabia. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/26/truss-admits-uk-breached-court-order-banning-arm-sales-to-saudis-again">https://www.theguardian.com/politics/...
Bigger picture here is that since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen 5+ yrs ago killing thousands of civilians and creating a humanitarian catastrophe,
the UK has licensed over £6 billion worth of arms to members of that coalition (mainly Saudi Arabia)
None of the above criticisms are in any way meant as a reflection of the part time staff that have worked on the CAEC who have always in my experience been very dedicated and effective professionals (and overworked across multiple committees).
The CAEC has suffered from a lack of resources and clout, partly due to its nebulous status (as opposed to that of a stand-alone select committee) but also political leadership from some former CAEC members has been severely lacking.
PLLLLLEEEAASE @UKParliament start taking arms export licensing deadly serious and get a proper scrutiny committee up and running URGENTLY
(Also, PLLLLEASE don& #39;t let the @DFID_UK / @foreignoffice merger fiasco delay the urgent set-up of an arms export scrutiny body)
