Adam Price MS, Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I am today informing Members of work underway to establish an ethical framework governing Welsh Government engagement with the defence sector. The initial options under consideration, along with the Government’s preferred option and consultation will be published this autumn.
The Welsh Government is committed to international solidarity and the rule of international law. We have consistently opposed the provision of arms or military support where there is a clear risk that it could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law or international human rights law. That position is unchanged.
Supporting the workers and communities who depend on the sector and upholding our commitments to peace, human rights and international law are not conflicting objectives. This framework is intended to secure both.
We also recognise the legitimate role of the defence sector in protecting democratic societies. The aerospace and defence industry directly employs around 16,000 people in Wales, and the Welsh Government works closely with the sector and with trade union partners to safeguard employment and investment.
Public support for the sector cannot, however, be unconditional. Welsh Government engagement with support for and investment in the sector should be governed by clear and credible ethical principles. No such framework has previously existed, and this Government committed to establishing one early in its term.
The framework will set out the principles and criteria governing Welsh Government engagement with the defence sector, including the circumstances in which support will not be provided. It will apply across the full range of Welsh Government activity: financial support to individual companies and projects, inward investment work, trade missions and events, and wider engagement with the sector.
In developing the framework, officials are drawing on discussions with other devolved governments, and on consideration of approaches adopted in other administrations. We will also engage with stakeholders, including industry, in the development of the framework.
The framework will provide, for the first time, a clear and specific basis for Welsh Government engagement with the defence sector. It is intended to support legitimate economic activity and employment while ensuring that public support is consistent with the values of this Government. It will also support innovation and diversification and dual-use opportunities, helping Welsh firms and workers develop technologies and skills with both civil and defence applications.
As part of the process of developing the framework, I have also made clear that all decisions related to investment in the defence sector should be, where legally and practically possible, be deferred until after the framework is published. All future engagement and investment should be tested against the framework.
I will make a further statement to members on the process for finalising the framework in due course.