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05/08/2016

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

Edward 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.

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