Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls

CommonsSelectest. 21 Jan 2025Email ↗● Actively Monitored
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Sessions analysed10
Commitments22
Positions38
Recommendations41

Latest Signals

15 Jul 2026Israel IHL assessments say it is not committed to upholding IHL in GazaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficePosition
“[Speaker: Stephen Doughty] Well, we are very clear that our IHL assessments continue to find that Israel is not committed to upholding IHL in relation to Gaza. We have been very clear about that.”
15 Jul 2026Emerging technologies and knowledge diffusion seen as major riskForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficePosition
15 Jul 2026MOD says Crown exemption remains open to more transparencyMinistry of DefencePosition
15 Jul 2026Gifting under Crown exemption is judged against export criteriaMinistry of DefencePosition
15 Jul 2026Government says F-35 is essential and no evidence of Lebanon useMinistry of DefencePosition
15 Jul 2026Minister rejects diversion allegation on Watchkeeper dronesDepartment for Business and TradeDisagreement
15 Jul 2026Sanctions legislation may provide legal basis for banForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeLegislative
15 Jul 2026Government says settlement violence is severe and illegalForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficePosition

Recent Sessions

View all (10)
15 Jul 2026Export controls: Israel, Sudan and transparency
3 commit6 pos2 rec1 disag1 leg
20 May 2026Critical minerals strategy, supply chains and funding
2 commit4 pos4 concern5 rec1 disag
22 Apr 2026Critical minerals: China risk and UK strategy
1 commit3 pos3 concern1 rec1 disag1 leg
25 Feb 2026UK trade sanctions: end-use controls and enforcement
4 commit4 pos4 concern1 rec
15 Sept 2025Arms exports to Israel and F-35 carve-out
3 commit4 pos2 concern1 rec1 disag
09 Jul 2025UK economic security: allies, China and cyber risk
3 commit3 pos1 concern2 rec2 leg

Recent Commitments

View all (22)

Recent Recommendations

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Frequent Witnesses

Department for Business and Trade3× · 16 insights
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office2× · 8 insights
Ministry of Defence2× · 7 insights
[not stated in header]1× · 14 insights
HM Government1× · 13 insights
Companies House1× · 11 insights

About this committee

This Commons select sub-committee examines the UK's critical minerals strategy, trade sanctions regimes, arms export licensing, and economic security threats including cyber-attacks. It operates as a specialist inquiry panel taking oral evidence from government officials, industry experts, and other witnesses across its designated policy areas. The sub-committee has recently scrutinised the government's approach to critical minerals procurement and supply chain resilience, exploring vulnerabilities in UK access to essential materials. It has also investigated end-use controls within the UK's trade sanctions framework to prevent prohibited end-users circumventing restrictions. The sub-committee conducted focused inquiry into arms exports to Israel, examining humanitarian law compliance and the F-35 carve-out arrangements. In parallel, it has examined how the National Security and Investment Act operates alongside broader trade policy to protect economic security against state and non-state threats, including detailed investigation of cyber-attack risks to UK economic infrastructure.