§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licence applications are currently awaiting determination at the Department of Trade and Industry. [16142]
§ Mrs. Beckett[holding answer 14 November 1997]: Licences to export strategic goods are issued by the President of the Board of Trade and the Export Control Organisation (ECO) of my department is the licensing authority. The ECO circulates all relevant individual licence applications to other Government Departments with an interest, as determined by them in line with their policy responsibilities. The Departments from which advice is sought include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development.
ECO management data on the processing of licence applications are compiled on the basis of four-week periods. At 17 October 1997, a total of 2,184 applications were awaiting a decision; these applications comprised applications for new standard or open individual licences to export strategic goods and applications for the renewal or amendment of existing individual licences. This compares with 2,085 outstanding applications at the end of October 1996. ECO is also the licensing authority for goods whose export is only controlled because of UN trade sanctions but data on the number of applications awaiting a decision are not compiled as most decisions are subject to UN authorisation, which can take some time.