5 Organisational and operational issues
The date of publication of the
annual report on strategic export controls
97. We have expressed dissatisfaction in our previous
Reports at the timing of the publication of the annual reports
on strategic export controls.[156]
The Government has stated that as the final annual collation of
data from across Government did not take place until April, it
would not be possible to publish its annual report before April
each year.[157] Therefore,
we are disappointed that the 2008 Annual Report was not published
until August 2009. We repeat our recommendation that the Government
aim to publish its 2009 Annual Report on UK Strategic Export Controls
by the end of May 2010.
FORM AND CONTENT OF ANNUAL REPORTS
ON STRATEGIC EXPORT CONTROLS
98. In previous Reports we have recommended that
the Government include monetary information on the management
and enforcement of export controls in future annual reports on
strategic export controls.[158]
As we stated in our last Report, this was because we considered
the information necessary for the scrutiny of the management and
enforcement of export controls.[159]
We need to know what resources are going into export control and
particularly whether the resources are increasing or decreasing
year on year.
99. The Government provided a table in its 2008 Annual
Report showing the allocation of resources for consideration of
export licence applications.[160]
This is reproduced below in Table One.
Table One: Government resources
| HMRC/RCPO/UKBA Resources
| £3,087,500
|
| ECO | £4,011,000
|
| FCO | £450,000
|
| DfID | £100,000
|
Source: United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls:
Annual Report 2008
100. We noted that the table did not include reference
to the MOD, despite that department acting in a policy advisory
capacity alongside FCO and DfID which were represented in the
table. We recommend that the 2009 Annual Report on United Kingdom
Strategic Export Controls include a further breakdown of the information
on the resources for consideration of export licence applications,
showing the resources allocated to the Ministry of Defence.
156 HC (2007-08) 254, para 80 Back
157
Cm 7485, p 14 Back
158
HC (2007-08) 254, para 83 Back
159
HC (2008-09) 178, para 88 Back
160
United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls: Annual Report 2008,
Cm 7662, p 4 Back
| 
