Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 18 May 2011.
John Cryer
Labour, Leyton and Wanstead
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the use of (a) military and (b) other equipment sold to the Government of the United Arab Emirates by AssetCo plc in recent actions in (i) Manama, Bahrain and (ii) other cities or towns in Bahrain; and if he will make a statement.
Alistair Burt
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
We have seen no evidence that military or other equipment sold by AssetCo plc has been used in Bahrain. We have not seen Emirati forces on the streets in Bahrain and we have seen no evidence that Gulf Co-operation forces have done anything other than safeguard installations. The Government take their arms export responsibilities very seriously, and operate one of the most rigorous arms export control regimes in the world. We do not export equipment where there is a clear risk it could be used for internal repression.
Yes5 people think so
No2 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.