MP: Lloyd Russell-Moyle

BH2023/03236 – Emblem House, Home Farm Business Centre

The committee’s comments when approving the temporary structure - the structures hereby approved are not considered suitable as a permanent form of development.

The International Criminal Court Act 2001 is clear that it is an offence to engage in conduct ancillary to genocide or war crimes. As there is a current case for genocide in the ICJ (South Africa V Israel) and there is evidence that some of the items produced in this factory might be complicit in these crimes. It would therefore be an offence to support the production of these materials under such circumstances. Whilst we do not yet have a judgement at the ICJ I believe that any decision should not be made until these legal matters are cleared. Further more Court of Appeal in R (CAAT) v Sec of State 2019 found the government had acted “irrationally and therefore unlawfully” in the case of Arms controls in which items made at this factory had been found in Yemen after IHL violations occurred.

I urge the Planning Committee to take real precaution to prevent any arms produced in our city to be used against innocent lives. The committee neds to examine the legal implications of knowingly allowing the supply of weapons parts made on its land to be used in violation of international law.