Source · Select Committees · Committees on Arms Export Controls
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 40
We welcome the consultation that has taken place with the unions.
Recommendation
We welcome the consultation that has taken place with the unions. This must continue and the Government must ensure that they draw on the expertise of ECJU staff at all levels. We also welcome the customer survey of exporters. However, this engagement should go further We recommend that the Government hold a public consultation with stakeholders as part of the Programme. It is important that their views inform the Programme. The ECJU should look to continue engagement with industry beyond the Programme by establishing a formal mechanism for industry to interact with the ECJU to improve information sharing and to discuss concerns in the licensing process.
Government Response Summary
The government stated the Transformation Programme is internal but committed to creating a new dedicated team and stakeholder engagement strategy in 2023 to establish formal mechanisms for consistent industry engagement. It did not commit to a broader public consultation.
Paragraph Reference:
40
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The Transformation Programme is an internal business improvement programme. The aims of the programme, which were communicated to the Committee in a letter in May 2022, are to enable ECJU to offer a professional customer-focussed licence application service, which provides timely and accurate advice and support. The service will be underpinned by modern technology and efficient processes. To operate this service effectively, ECJU’s culture will be open, inclusive, and professional, and staff will be supported and provided with access to learning and development opportunities. The first stage of the transformation was completed by a dedicated team. From January 2023, the transformation will move into a continuous improvement model managed within ECJU. ECJU commits to providing the Committee with regular updates on the transformation and its continuous improvement activities, and ECJU will use its regular engagement with union representatives to keep them up to date on the progress of this work. ECJU recognises the importance of engaging proactively with its stakeholders. That is why it has created a new dedicated post and team to lead ECJU Engagement. Building upon the existing engagement mechanisms with industry and academia, e.g. through trade associations such as ADS Group, this role will deliver a new stakeholder engagement strategy in 2023. A key objective of ECJU’s engagement strategy will be to establish mechanisms to consistently and effectively engage with industry and we intend to take exporters’ views into account in designing how these mechanisms should work.