To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) intelligence referred to in the letter to the Prime Minister from the Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee of 29 August 2013 and (b) other information on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime his Department was aware of before the issue of export licences to that country for dual use chemicals in 17 and 18 January 2012.

We do not comment on intelligence matters. However, the Government's understanding of Syria's chemical weapons aspirations and programmes was reflected in Department's advice and considered as part of our assessment of these export licences.