The government has stopped approving the sale of weapons that could be used in Yemen after its processes were ruled unlawful by judges.
Liam ., the international trade secretary, said it would appeal the Court of Appeal ruling but had suspended new export licences for Saudi Arabia amid an internal review.
Addressing MPs in parliament, he said the government applied a “rigorous and robust multi-layered process” in line with UK and EU criteria.
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“We are carefully considering the implications of the judgment for decision-making,” Dr . added. “While we do this, we will not grant any new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners which might be used in the conflict in Yemen.”
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He said the judgment did “not undermine the UK’s overall framework for export controls”.
“These criteria have stood the test of time and are shared by EU member states,” Dr . said. “The court’s judgment is about how decisions were made in relation to one element of one of these criteria in a specific context.”
The minister defended the UK’s close relationship with Saudi Arabia while being questioned by MPs, saying the country was an important intelligence source and “a valuable partner in our shared combat against global terrorism and has helped keep numerous UK citizens safe”.
Barry Gardiner, Labour’s shadow international trade secretary, said the case was a “damning indictment of the government’s handling of arms export licences to Saudi Arabia”.
“The [suspension of licences] is not enough,” he told the House of Commons. “We believe there should be an independent investigation into the Yemen conflict and it is shameful that the government should seek to appeal today’s judgment.”
Mr Gardiner warned that open weapons licences could be used to “bypass” the freeze.
The court’s ruling came a day after a UN investigation found there was “credible evidence” to investigate Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
