UK arms exports are subsidised by over £420 million per year by our government. This is a net subsidy of £4,600 per job! A further £620 million is spent by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on military research and development. The financial benefits of arms exports to the UK economy amount to only £203 million, resulting in a loss to the UK taxpayer. This is treatment that civil organisations do not receive, because of a World Trade Organisation ‘security exemption’ clause.

A recent report by the MoD concluded that ‘the economic costs of reducing defence exports are relatively small and largely one-off’. As a consequence, ‘the balance of argument about defence exports should depend mainly on non-economic considerations’.

The Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) is a government agency within the MoD dedicated to promoting UK arms exports. DESO also acts as a ‘buy British’ lobby within the Ministry itself. It receives a net government subsidy of £16 million and has about 600 staff, both military and civil.

The current DESO strategy plan is confidential, but some parts have leaked out. One important element of the plan is that DESO should focus its arms selling on ‘the top 20 or so markets in priority order.’ The names of these top 20 countries remain a secret, but an official of the Defence Manufacturers’ Association, angry at the temporary suspension of sales to Pakistan, told parliament that both India and Pakistan had been identified by DESO as highly valuable priority markets for the UK industry to target. This is despite the tensions in the region.

DESO’s strategic plan also urges a pro-active, rather than reactive, approach. This means that the UK government and companies will not just supply military equipment on demand – they will push arms sales to specifically identified countries.

Action points

• Read, sign and post the card to Tony Blair.

• See www.speaknetwork.org for more information and action ideas for SPEAK’s new arms trade campaign.

• See www.caat.org.uk for more info on the arms trade.

• Write to your MP (find out who your MP is at www.faxyourmp.org) raising these issues and asking him/her to raise them with Tony Blair.

• Fill in the reply card to receive updates from SPEAK.

Prayer points

‘He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.’ (Isaiah 2: 4)

• Praise God for the transforming and reconciling power of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

• Repent of our own violence and unforgiveness and of the violence that has shaped our nations’ relations with others.

• Pray that God will give us the strength, humility and grace to follow in Jesus’ footsteps as a peacemaker.

• Ask God to give us, and our decision-makers, hearts of forgiveness and compassion.

• Pray for any countries and peoples that are engaged in conflict, that God will bring them to peace and wholeness.

• Pray for the victims of conflict all over the world – the bereaved, scarred or injured, refugees or displaced persons.

• Pray for Tony Blair, that he will be convicted by the action cards he receives, and that his eyes will be opened to both the economic and moral arguments surrounding this issue.

• Pray for God’s Kingdom of justice, peace and reconciliation to grow, both locally and in the world.

Dear Right Honourable Tony Blair MP,

I am writing to you to express my concerns that the UK government is currently supporting and promoting the arms trade through agencies such as the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and the Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD).

I am concerned that the UK government policy of actively promoting and subsiding UK arms exports is not backed by clear economic evidence of its benefit to the UK economy. Moreover, this support of the proliferation of weaponry, particularly to countries engaged in armed warfare, is fanning the flames of conflict world wide. Please use your influence to call for the following:

• A full and open assessment of the UK government policy of subsidising military exports, including the social and economic effects of these subsidies on both the UK and recipient countries.

• An extension of the list of countries to which the ECGD cover for military exports is banned, notably to more than just the Highly Indebted Poor Countries. Arms sales to other countries with development concerns and countries engaged in conflict should also be banned from getting ECGD cover.

• A reduction, and eventually an end, of government support of the arms trade through DESO.

• More help for industry to move from military to civil production. The Defence Diversification Agency in the MoD should be given adequate resources to transfer military skills, knowledge and technology to the civil sector, rather than the converse, as has often been the case so far.

I look forward to hearing a response from you on this matter.

Yours sincerely,

--------------------------------------------------------------- (Signed)

--------------------------------------------------------------- (Name)

--------------------------------------------------------------- (Address)

SPEAK is a network of students and young adults who campaign and pray for issues of social justice.

SPEAK, 38 St Mary’s Park, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 0EF speak@speak.org.uk www.speaknetwork.org

SPEAK is a member of the Trade Justice Movement.