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Strategic Export Controls

I agree with my hon. Friend. The Government deserve credit not just for what they have done but what they are doing. They are playing a significant role in seeking to secure an effective international arms trade treaty. Again, I praise them for that—one of the reasons why we need an international treaty is to deal with the arms trade—but I do not believe that their efforts will be enhanced if they are seen to backslide on the Oslo process in relation to cluster munitions. I could not possibly speculate whether one Department has a different view from other Departments; that is an internal Government matter. I would be astonished if there were not one message. Seriously, though, I believe that the Government should sing a consistent song on cluster munitions and on other international measures to control the arms trade. We must never forget that arms export controls are all about end use, nor that the arms trade is a global business requiring global political responses. The more we can agree responses and controls at the European and international levels, the better. This is not an era in which individual countries can sort out such problems on their own any more than they can sort out problems arising from globalisation, or indeed reap its benefits. They can, however, set examples, so an international agreement should be sought, but failing that, there is a duty to act unilaterally to make progress where possible. The Government deserve credit for the progress that has been made. Let us be perfectly frank: the position on arms export control policy and its transparency and accountability are light years ahead of what they were 11 years ago at the time of the Scott report on arms to Iraq—and to Iran, as we discovered. This country has made enormous progress in bringing the arms trade under some kind of effective control and scrutiny, and the Government deserve credit for that, but there are still concerns. It is important that we try to secure full extra-territorial control of brokers. It is important that we take licensed production overseas seriously and introduce the kind of measures now being considered. It is important that we engage in end use monitoring where that is clearly necessary. It is important that enforcement should mean enforcement. There should be no incentives for anyone to say, ““It's more economical for my business to break the law and pay the fine.”” That cannot be right, and it cannot be right to allow the plethora of cluster munitions around the world to increase. I hope that the Government's final response to the welcome review of the 2002 Act will enable those and other serious loopholes to be plugged as quickly as possible. It is not melodramatic to say that lives depend on it.