First Joint Report (Fourth Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee) - Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government accepts some recommendations on transparency and reporting, but it declines a post-shipment verification pilot and an independent review of the new Criteria, and says HMRC cannot agree to disclose settlement details.

• On LITE, the government says delivery is being progressed urgently and "will commit to ECJU providing the Committees with six-monthly updates on progress".
• On an independent review of the new Criteria, the government is "satisfied" with the framework and does "not consider an independent review to be necessary or proportionate".
• On post-shipment verification, the government notes the conclusions and agrees it is no substitute for pre-licensing assessment, but says "we cannot commit to implementing a pilot programme by 2025".
• HMRC "will provide convictions data for export control violations for inclusion in Annual Reports", but says providing settlement data, even privately, "is not something HMRC can agree to".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error