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Arms Export Controls

Absolutely; I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that decisions on licensing must take account of current and recent events, and that is exactly what they do. The licensing criteria and policy itself has not changed, and does not need to change. None the less, it should be looked at in the light of current events. Any future licensing applications for exports of goods and components to Israel will have to bear in mind the recent events that have tragically taken place in that country. At the risk of being controversial, I should like to respond to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood about the moral equivalence of an arms embargo on both Hamas and Israel. One is a terrorist organisation and the other is a democracy. It is right that we should apply different criteria to terrorist organisations and democratic countries. That is not to say that we do not have concerns about the use of military goods exports. Clearly, we do, and we take it into account as part of the licensing criteria. I do not accept the rationale of my hon. Friend's argument, but if he wants to explain it again to me, I will happily give way to him.