HC Deb 10 May 2001 vol 368 cc305-6W
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the(a) average and (b) maximum length of time taken to process export licences was in 2000. [158534]

Mr. Byers

The Government aim to provide a substantive response to Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) applications within 20 working days, except in special circumstances. The targets are set out in a Service and Performance Code published by the Export Control Organisation (ECO), and information on performance against these targets is set out in the Government's annual reports on Strategic Export Controls. In 2000, the Government processed 57 per cent. of SIEL applications within 20 working days. Within the DTI, the ECO improved the proportion of SIEL applications on which it carried out its processing tasks within 10 working days to 79 per cent. in 2000, compared to 75 per cent. the previous year.

The average lengths of time to process the SIEL applications completed in 2000 were:

Mean: 26.5 working days

Mode: 15 working days

Median: 17 working days.

These figures do not take account of periods during which applications were referred back to exporters for further information. These referrals occur, for example, when the nature or end-use of the goods requires further clarification.

The longest time taken to process a SIEL finalised in 2000 was 222 working days. While this was unacceptably high, there will always be a significant proportion of cases that take longer than the 20 working day target, especially in view of the necessary consultation with other Departments and if circumstances in the intended destination are uncertain or if the application is particularly complex.

The Government recognise the problems that delays in the processing of licence applications can entail. All Departments involved in the process are committed to fulfilling their roles effectively and efficiently. The ECO is pursuing a number of initiatives to improve the quality of decision taking and further reduce processing times, including improving the way we work with other Departments, enhanced progress chasing particularly for such longstanding casework and a general commitment to continuous improvement.

It would entail disproportionate cost to establish the relevant figures for Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) applications.