Edward Bell witness statement of August 2016
Appears in case: First Administrative Challenge against the Secretary of State for International Trade
Jurisdiction
United Kingdom
Locale
Armed Conflict in Yemen
Recipient State
Saudi Arabia
Document Type
Witness Statements
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Edward Bell witness statement, 5 August 2016Edward Bell, head of the Export Control Organisation in the Department for International Trade – the UK’s export licensing authority, makes a witness statement on behalf of the Secretary of State. The statement focuses on how the Secretary of State has reached decisions in relation to the granting of export licences for the sale or transfers of arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia during the conflict in Yemen, and in particular to explain why the decision as made that the clear risk threshold under Criterion 2(c) has not been met. Within this statement, Bell provides an overview of how licence applications are assessed, who is responsible for this assessment, and the procedure of its suspension mechanism. It provides an overview of decision making on assessments to Saudi Arabia.
It references a series of meetings and correspondence between government departments on exports to Saudi Arabia, which are submitted as supporting evidence.