Speeches by Maynard.

“Going back to the F-35s used in Gaza, currently I feel the Government are being wilfully ignorant, because the Israeli Air Force itself has tweeted that, since October 2023, the service’s F-35s have flown more than 15,000 operational flight hours, taking part in thousands of sorties in all theatres. I do not understand…”

“Let me put it another way: how can the Government be confident that they are complying with their international obligations if they disapply their own criteria?”

“Why have you disapplied the criteria?”

“Why have the Government exempted their entire criteria for arms controls when considering the F-35 carve-out?”

“Okay, we will come back to you, but can Sir Chris please go first?”

“Sorry, Sir Chris is the Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade. I would quite like him to answer because he is responsible.”

“Sir Chris, to recap, the strategic export licensing criteria are the means by which the Government ensure that their arms exports are in compliance with the UK’s international obligations. At the evidence session with this Committee last December, Ministers told us that the SELC—strategic export licensing criteria—were…”

“I understand it.”

“Given what is going on, would it not be prudent and sensible to insist on that?”

“Sir Chris, do you think there is a sensible, relatively simple middle way through to solving the F-35 carve-out, if we had enough gumption to stand up to the US? It could look something like this. F-35 parts continue to be sold to Israel for defensive purposes only, and not for use in Gaza or other questionable theatre…”

“I am just talking about the UK, US and Israel; I am not talking about the rest. We could come to our own agreement, saying that the UK Government will not allow these parts to be exported—our parts, made in the UK—never mind what goes on with other countries.”

“Why would you not ask for export proof from Israel, so that if it says that it will export these things, it can demonstrate that?”

“So we just take it on good faith?”

“So there is no burden of proof on Israel to demonstrate that it has done what it said it would do and export it?”

“What burden of proof is on the Government of Israel to demonstrate that they are re-exporting those products, as opposed to using them in Gaza?”

“I go back to wilful ignorance. To that point, we have planes going over there and can see bombs being dropped. We can join those dots, and we are choosing not to.”

“That is how it looks.”

“On the point about upskilling teachers, the Mulberry Bush school in my constituency does a fantastic job with outreach from specialist schools to regular schools. Does my hon. Friend agree that upskilling teachers and using skills inside the SEND schools to teach teachers in the broader environment would be a great thi…”

“Will the Minister outline what the Government are doing to highlight and explain to the citizens of our country what our obligations are to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and all our NATO allies under article 5, and the role played by the joint expeditionary force, with the Baltic three, the Nordic five, the Nether…”

“There is a lot to welcome in the Bill, and I support the overarching aim. However, there are several important details that very much concern small operators and community transport providers in my Witney constituency, and I shall speak on their behalf. They include West Oxfordshire Community Transport, including Andre…”