MPs are fuming they have not seen the small print on the world’s biggest private-sector arms fair in September, when 1500 exhibitors will descend upon the Excel Centre, ahead of the general election.
Private equity-owned events organiser Clarion is in negotiations with the Business Department over the terms of hosting the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition in east London, which is held every two years.
Parliament’s arms exports controls committee wanted to see the memorandum of understanding (MoU) before the election to make sure exhibitors weren’t promoting torture devices, as has happened before.
But the MoU won’t be ready until after the election.
Committee member Ann McKechin said this represented “a lack of transparency” and was “disappointing” given most exhibitors would have booked their flights and stands by the time the MoU is agreed.
A Whitehall source said: “There have been a small number of regrettable incidents of exhibitors displaying literature about goods whose export from the UK are banned.”
The Business Department said it expects the MoU to be published in the summer.
