On a point of order, Mr Speaker. As you are aware, the Government were found to be in breach of the arms export regime by the Court of Appeal. The Government have applied to the Supreme Court for a further, final appeal. A Minister told the House that they would...

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. As you are aware, the Government were found to be in breach of the arms export regime by the Court of Appeal. The Government have applied to the Supreme Court for a further, final appeal. A Minister told the House that they would...

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt) and the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) for their points of order.

With respect to what the right hon. Gentleman said, I am intimately conscious that I cannot and should not intervene or overly pronounce on...

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Reigate (Crispin Blunt) and the right hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis) for their points of order.

With respect to what the right hon. Gentleman said, I am intimately conscious that I cannot and should not intervene or overly pronounce on...

It is a pleasure to open this debate on the most recent report of the Quadripartite Committee, the Government's response to that report, and the minutes of a meeting that the Committee held at the end of January.

It is a pleasure to open this debate on the most recent report of the Quadripartite Committee, the Government's response to that report, and the minutes of a meeting that the Committee held at the end of January.

: The Quadripartite Committee is an interesting creature. As Members will be aware, it is a Joint Committee involving the Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs, International Development and Defence Committees, all of which have an interest in arms export control policy and want to scrutinise what the Government do in...

: The Quadripartite Committee is an interesting creature. As Members will be aware, it is a Joint Committee involving the Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs, International Development and Defence Committees, all of which have an interest in arms export control policy and want to scrutinise what the Government do in...

: Will my hon. Friend give way?

: Will my hon. Friend give way?

: I shall, so that my hon. Friend can make the point.

: I shall, so that my hon. Friend can make the point.

: I endorse my hon. Friend's comment, which underlines what I said at the start: if we as a Government, and the taxpayers at large, are being asked to fund 500 civil servants in the Ministry of Defence—in DESO—to promote the very arms sales that another arm of Government is...

: I endorse my hon. Friend's comment, which underlines what I said at the start: if we as a Government, and the taxpayers at large, are being asked to fund 500 civil servants in the Ministry of Defence—in DESO—to promote the very arms sales that another arm of Government is...

My hon. Friend is making a compelling case. I and a number of other Members are desperately worried about cluster munitions. I am of the view that they should be banned outright, and that they are no different from land mines, but I know that the Government have a different...

My hon. Friend is making a compelling case. I and a number of other Members are desperately worried about cluster munitions. I am of the view that they should be banned outright, and that they are no different from land mines, but I know that the Government have a different...

: I am grateful for my hon. Friend's intervention. My point is even more basic: to the best of my knowledge, no other Select Committee—hon. and right hon. Members will correct me if I am wrong—has been told, ““Please be careful how many questions you ask because of the resource...

: I am grateful for my hon. Friend's intervention. My point is even more basic: to the best of my knowledge, no other Select Committee—hon. and right hon. Members will correct me if I am wrong—has been told, ““Please be careful how many questions you ask because of the resource...

: When the Minister answers that question, will he also reply to my point about the future of DESO? It is not only inconsistent, but illogical and immoral, that an arm of the Government is working in parallel, and indeed in conflict, with the ECO, not least because it need...

: When the Minister answers that question, will he also reply to my point about the future of DESO? It is not only inconsistent, but illogical and immoral, that an arm of the Government is working in parallel, and indeed in conflict, with the ECO, not least because it need...

: I have a great deal of sympathy with the point my hon. Friend makes, but the question should be directed to the Minister, in respect of Government policy on this matter. If the House does not receive an entirely satisfactory answer this afternoon, the Quadripartite Committee will certainly look...

: I have a great deal of sympathy with the point my hon. Friend makes, but the question should be directed to the Minister, in respect of Government policy on this matter. If the House does not receive an entirely satisfactory answer this afternoon, the Quadripartite Committee will certainly look...

I am very pleased to follow the hon. Member for Kingswood (Roger Berry), who was an excellent Chairman of the Quadripartite Committee in the previous Parliament and deservedly was unanimously reappointed in the new one. We very much welcome that. I want to follow the hon. Gentleman on one issue—trafficking...

I am very pleased to follow the hon. Member for Kingswood (Roger Berry), who was an excellent Chairman of the Quadripartite Committee in the previous Parliament and deservedly was unanimously reappointed in the new one. We very much welcome that. I want to follow the hon. Gentleman on one issue—trafficking...

: I am again grateful for my hon. Friend's intervention. Cleary, the question is aimed at the Minister, and I look forward to the reply. I would like an assurance from the Minister that every effort will be made to ensure that we have an effective system of end-use monitoring....

: I am again grateful for my hon. Friend's intervention. Cleary, the question is aimed at the Minister, and I look forward to the reply. I would like an assurance from the Minister that every effort will be made to ensure that we have an effective system of end-use monitoring....

: The items concerned are missiles with a range of 300 km and more, and torture equipment. The answer to the question of how trafficking and brokering are defined is that they are not defined in the legislation at all. They are instead defined by particular types of transactions taking...

: The items concerned are missiles with a range of 300 km and more, and torture equipment. The answer to the question of how trafficking and brokering are defined is that they are not defined in the legislation at all. They are instead defined by particular types of transactions taking...

: I am so grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for giving way, and even more so for correcting that glaring error. I really appreciate it; I am humbled.

: I am so grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for giving way, and even more so for correcting that glaring error. I really appreciate it; I am humbled.

I should like to begin by taking up the point that my friend and colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee, the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir John Stanley), has raised. The Government made it clear as recently as earlier this week that the regulations that apply to...

I should like to begin by taking up the point that my friend and colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee, the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir John Stanley), has raised. The Government made it clear as recently as earlier this week that the regulations that apply to...

: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. He makes an important point to which I am sure the Minister will pay close attention. On policy, I come to the Quadripartite Committee's recommendations. Our central recommendation, which is exactly the same in this Parliament as it has been previously, is...

: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. He makes an important point to which I am sure the Minister will pay close attention. On policy, I come to the Quadripartite Committee's recommendations. Our central recommendation, which is exactly the same in this Parliament as it has been previously, is...