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

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.