§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)The 2003 annual report on strategic export controls will be published at 14.30 today as a Command Paper, and copies will be placed in the Library of the House. The report includes information on licensing decisions made during 2003 as well as describing UK policy and international developments in export control regimes.
Annual reports on strategic export controls are an innovation of this Government. Our defence exports licensing system is one of the most rigorous and open in the world and this annual report is a symbol of our commitment to transparency and accountability. This will be the Government's seventh annual report (the first report was published in 1997). The report will be available on the FCO web site (www.fco.gov.uk) and published through The Stationery Office.