HC Deb 01 June 1998 vol 313 cc125-6W
Mr. Paterson

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many export licence applications are currently pending. [42579]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 18 May 1998]Licences to export arms and other goods subject to control for strategic reasons are issued by the President of the Board of Trade and the Export Control Organisation of the Department of Trade and Industry is the licensing authority. All relevant individual licence applications are circulated by the DTI to other Government departments with an interest as determined by them in line with their policy responsibilities. These 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 the end of the last four week period for which statistics have been compiled—ie 4 April 1998 to 1 May 1998—a total of 1,752 applications were awaiting a decision: these applications comprised applications for new standard or open individual export licences to export strategic goods and applications for the renewal or amendment of existing individual licences. This compares with 2,184 outstanding applications on 17 October 1997. 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.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how old is the longest outstanding application for an export licence. [42580]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 18 May 1998]Licences to export arms and other goods subject to control for strategic reasons are issued by the President of the Board of Trade, and the Export Control Organisation of the Department of Trade and Industry is the licensing authority. All relevant individual licence applications are circulated by the DTI to other Government Departments with an interest, as determined by them in line with their policy responsibilities. These include the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence, and the Department for International Development.

Of applications for individual licences pending a decision at 21 May 1998, the oldest application for a Standard Individual Export Licence was received in August 1996; processing of this application cannot be completed until the applicant fulfils a request from the Export Control Organisation to supply an end-user undertaking. The oldest application for an Open Individual Export Licence pending a decision on this date was received in February 1996. My Department has now received the necessary advice from advisers in other Government departments, and after final checks the licence will be issued.