F-35 Aircraft: Spare Parts
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the Government of placing conditionality on the use of UK-manufactured goods being sent to Israel through the global spare parts pool for use on planes operated by the Israel Defense Forces.
Answered by Mr Douglas Alexander
Once parts are exported from the UK to the F-35 global spares pool and aircraft assembly facilities, due to the design of the programme, the UK does not have control over whether components are used for specific customer nations or not.
The UK cannot make changes to the F-35 programme unilaterally – it requires agreement across all the Partner Nations.
The only way to prevent UK-produced parts reaching Israel would be for the UK Government to stop the export of parts to the entire F-35 programme, which would prejudice the security of the UK and our allies.
Facing a critical moment for European security and war on our continent, the Government has a solemn responsibility to consider the full implications of our decisions. Undermining the F35 programme would disrupt international peace and security, NATO deterrence and European defence.
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