To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Maude of Horsham (HL1418) regarding the sale of arms to Israel, how they define "internal repression" and "using the items aggressively against another country".
Answered on
29 July 2015
The Government defines ‘internal repression’ as ‘Actions contrary to International Humanitarian Law and other major suppression or violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms as set out in relevant international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’
On ‘using the items aggressively against another country’, the Government defines that as ‘Under the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, Criterion Three requires the Government to consider the risks of threats to the preservation of regional peace, security and stability. The Government takes into account, inter alia, the existence or likelihood of armed conflict between the recipient and another country and whether the equipment would be likely to be used other than for the legitimate national security and defence of the recipient.’