Recommendation 27

Despite the Government undertaking to examine the possibility of establishing a system of post-shipment verification for UK exports, no progress appears to have been made. While we fully understand the pressures of, and the need to respond Developments in UK Strategic Export Controls 47 urgently to, the Covid pandemic, the lack of progress on this matter is disappointing given the concerns expressed to us in evidence regarding the inadequacy of some end-user assurance documentation and the risks posed by diversion. We see no reason why the Government should not recommence its discussions with the German authorities and seek to reinstate the aborted talks with US authorities on post-shipment verification.