Press Release - Scottish government must urgently update Parliament on arms funding review

Scottish government must urgently update Parliament on arms funding review   

‘Question of whether Scottish public money is supporting companies linked to violations of international law demands a credible process which is independent, transparent and accountable.’ - Neil Cowan 

Amnesty International has warned Scottish ministers they must be transparent about a review of human rights due diligence processes for awarding public grants to arms companies.  

Amnesty previously called the process in place at Scottish Enterprise inadequate after it emerged that not one company has ever failed its human rights checks. Meanwhile grants have been awarded by the Scottish government agency to arms companies manufacturing products used by states like Israel and Saudi Arabia. 

In February Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes announced a review of the checks in a u-turn from her defence of the process just days earlier. 

Amnesty has said the review - which is being undertaken in-house by Scottish Enterprise - lacks credibility and called on the Deputy First Minister to urgently update Parliament on its progress. 

In a letter to Ms. Forbes Amnesty’s Scotland Programme Director Neil Cowan wrote:  

“I have previously made clear Amnesty’s opposition to Scottish Enterprise being permitted to undertake an in-house review of the process in place. The question of whether Scottish public money is supporting companies linked to violations of international law, including genocide, is an extremely serious one. It demands a credible process which is independent, transparent and accountable.  

“You have indicated that Parliament will not be updated on this work until the review has concluded. I am writing to urge you to reconsider that position and provide an update to Parliament on the review’s framework and progress prior to the summer recess.  

“There is still time to conduct an independent review that allows those with expertise to input to how Scottish Enterprise can best respect and protect human rights. Such a process would provide certainty for all involved - including Scottish Enterprise employees - that human rights risks associated with their work have been thoroughly assessed and appropriately mitigated. It would also be a course of action much more coherent with the Scottish Government’s public commitments to upholding and promoting human rights internationally.” 

Today in response to a question from Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman, Ms. Forbes again declined to provide any new information about the review.

Commenting Neil Cowan said: 

“The Deputy First Minister’s response today did nothing to reassure us about the lack of transparency surrounding this process. It seems that Scottish Enterprise is going to be allowed to mark its own homework with the full backing of Scottish ministers.  

“We cannot understand the reluctance to hold an independent review which invites input from human rights experts. Everyone involved should share the goal of ensuring Scottish public money is not supporting companies implicated in the most serious human rights violations imaginable, including genocide. 

“It would be completely unacceptable for Parliament to begin two months of parliamentary recess without hearing more about the status and make-up of this review.  The very least the Deputy First Minister can do is to provide an update and provide MSPs with the chance to scrutinise plans.”