To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, column 1429W, on Middle East: armed conflict, by what methods the risks that arms could be used for internal repression or external aggression are surveyed; and what steps his Department took to gather evidence on the use of arms exports in relation to Gaza. (264704)

All arms export license applications are considered on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. This includes criteria covering internal repression and external aggression. We assess each application in the light of information received from several sources, including our embassies, non-governmental organisations and international agencies and in accordance with the EU Arms Export Users Guide, which was published in the UK’s 2007 Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the London Conference on the prevention of arms smuggling to Gaza. (265588)

Tackling the smuggling of arms, ammunition and weapons components to armed groups in Gaza—along with opening the crossings to legitimate goods—is an important part of improving the situation there in a sustainable way.

The London conference on 13 March 2009 built on the progress made in Copenhagen on 3-5 February 2009 and agreed a Programme of Action between the nine participating countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, the UK and the US). A copy of this programme is available on the FCO website:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/