§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the value of the order for arms exports is recorded at the time when licences are applied for; and if the value is shown on the licences. [70146]
§ Dr. HowellsApplicants for standard individual export licences are required to record on the application form the value of the goods for which a licence is sought; this information is recorded on ECO's computer databases. 403W However, where a licence is issued, the value of the goods covered by that licence may be less than the value of the goods covered by the original application. Exporters sometimes mistakenly apply for a licence to export goods for which no licence is required. In addition, goods are sometimes withdrawn from the coverage of an application during the licensing process, for example at the exporter's request or the value may change during the time taken to process the application because of changes in exchange rates. However, as it would in any case be misleading (because some licences are used only in part or not at all), the value of the goods licensed for export by each individual licence is not recorded on ECO's computer databases, although it is shown on the licence itself. HMC&E is responsible for the compilation of statistics on UK trade in goods.
Open licences allow the exporters concerned to make multiple shipments of the specified goods to the specified destinations in accordance with the licence conditions. While such licences do not normally impose any limit on the volume of exports that may be made under the licence, exporters are required as a condition of the licence to maintain records of all controlled exports for a minimum of three or four years depending on the goods. While these records may be examined by compliance officers in the course of routine compliance visits, the Export Control Organisation does not compile any central record.