This House of Lords Library briefing provides background information in advance of the second reading of the Register of Arms Brokers Bill in the House of Lords on Friday 10 June 2016.
Register of Arms Brokers Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (135 KB , PDF)
The Register of Arms Brokers Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Baroness Jolly (Liberal Democrat). The Bill received its first reading in the House of Lords on 23 May 2016, and is scheduled to have its second reading on 10 June 2016. The Bill seeks to make provision for the establishment, maintenance and publication of a register of arms brokers. If enacted, the Bill would require arms brokers to register every three years, and would ensure that the applicant’s criminal history and tax status were considered before being allowed to register. The provisions would apply to the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Bill defines an arms broker as any person involved in financing, transporting or facilitating the manufacture, export or import of military equipment or military technology. The Bill also stipulates that it would be an offence to undertake any such activity without being registered. A person guilty of this offence would be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, a fine, or both.
Register of Arms Brokers Bill [HL]: Briefing for Lords Stages (135 KB , PDF)
The Financial Assistance to Ukraine Bill is a two-clause government bill that would authorise the government to provide loans and other financial assistance to Ukraine resulting from the extraordinary revenue acceleration (ERA) loans agreement made at the meeting of the G7 and the EU in June 2024. It has been designated as a money bill and it completed its House of Commons stages on 18 December 2024 with broad cross-party support.
The House of Lords committee on international relations and defence has called on the government to remain alert to emerging changes in the Arctic and to regularly assess whether its strategy towards the region is “appropriately calibrated”. In a report published in 2023, the committee suggested the Arctic was experiencing significant change and was no longer a region of low-tension. It argued the situation was critical to UK interests.
Relations between the UK and China are complex. China is an important trading partner for the UK but its human rights record and global actions attract regular concern and criticism. The Labour government has said that its relationship with China will be based on cooperation, competition and challenge. This briefing looks at the new government’s stance, as well as its position on issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China’s human rights record.
