Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether the review of export licensing policy will examine export controls relating to (a) sensitive technologies, (b) intangible transfers, (c) technological advancements and (d) the targeting end-uses and end-users of concern.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The implementation of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations will be led by the Ministry of Defence.
This will include the transfer of UK Defence and Security Exports from the Department for Business and Trade to the MOD.
This will also include consideration of how our export licensing processes can best support UK industry participation in international defence programmes.
It does not include plans to change the operation of the Export Control Joint Unit, which is led by the Department for Business and Trade, supported by MOD and FCDO.
It also does not include plans to change our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, through which ECJU implements its responsibilities under the Export Control Act.
DBT and MOD will continue to engage with the relevant committees in Parliament on the detail of this work as it develops.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether (a) export licensing decisions will remain the responsibility of his Department and (b) the Export Control Joint Unit will continue to be based in his Department.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The implementation of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations will be led by the Ministry of Defence.
This will include the transfer of UK Defence and Security Exports from the Department for Business and Trade to the MOD.
This will also include consideration of how our export licensing processes can best support UK industry participation in international defence programmes.
It does not include plans to change the operation of the Export Control Joint Unit, which is led by the Department for Business and Trade, supported by MOD and FCDO.
It also does not include plans to change our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, through which ECJU implements its responsibilities under the Export Control Act.
DBT and MOD will continue to engage with the relevant committees in Parliament on the detail of this work as it develops.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether his Department's review of export licensing policy will include an examination of the effectiveness of the Export Control Joint Unit.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The implementation of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations will be led by the Ministry of Defence.
This will include the transfer of UK Defence and Security Exports from the Department for Business and Trade to the MOD.
This will also include consideration of how our export licensing processes can best support UK industry participation in international defence programmes.
It does not include plans to change the operation of the Export Control Joint Unit, which is led by the Department for Business and Trade, supported by MOD and FCDO.
It also does not include plans to change our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, through which ECJU implements its responsibilities under the Export Control Act.
DBT and MOD will continue to engage with the relevant committees in Parliament on the detail of this work as it develops.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, who will conduct the review of the export licensing policy; what the (a) planned timetable and (b) terms of reference of that review will be; and (i) which groups and organisations his Department plans to consult and (ii) whether there will be a public consultation.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The implementation of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations will be led by the Ministry of Defence.
This will include the transfer of UK Defence and Security Exports from the Department for Business and Trade to the MOD.
This will also include consideration of how our export licensing processes can best support UK industry participation in international defence programmes.
It does not include plans to change the operation of the Export Control Joint Unit, which is led by the Department for Business and Trade, supported by MOD and FCDO.
It also does not include plans to change our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, through which ECJU implements its responsibilities under the Export Control Act.
DBT and MOD will continue to engage with the relevant committees in Parliament on the detail of this work as it develops.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, qwhther his Department's review of export licensing policy will include the (a) UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, (b) Export Control Act 2002 and (c) Export Control Order 2008.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The implementation of the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations will be led by the Ministry of Defence.
This will include the transfer of UK Defence and Security Exports from the Department for Business and Trade to the MOD.
This will also include consideration of how our export licensing processes can best support UK industry participation in international defence programmes.
It does not include plans to change the operation of the Export Control Joint Unit, which is led by the Department for Business and Trade, supported by MOD and FCDO.
It also does not include plans to change our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, through which ECJU implements its responsibilities under the Export Control Act.
DBT and MOD will continue to engage with the relevant committees in Parliament on the detail of this work as it develops.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to (a) page 7 and (b) recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what input other Government (i) departments and (ii) agencies will have into the export decisions of the new defence exports office.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Strategic Defence Review was clear that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) must coordinate with other Government Departments to achieve export goals. Inputs from other Government Departments will be critical to ensure success, from the views of Ambassadors, Trade teams and Defence Attaches in our overseas embassies to the export licensing community in the FCDO, MOD and other Government Departments.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister’s written ministerial statement of 3 June 2025 on Machinery of Government: Cyber-security and Defence Exports HCWS679, and (a) page 7 and (b) recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, if the new defence exports office will replace UK defence and security exports.
Answered by Maria Eagle
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, improving exports is vital to national security and growth at home. We are creating a single Departmental lead through the transfer of responsibility for defence exports, comprising the majority of UK Defence and Security Exports, from the Department of Business and Trade to the Ministry of Defence. A new team under the National Armaments Director will drive forward export campaigns.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to recommendation 12 on page 63 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, what role the National Armaments Director will have in (a) considering, (b) advising on and (c) deciding export licence applications.
Answered by Maria Eagle
This Government endorses the Strategic Defence Review’s vision and accepts all 62 recommendations. The implementation of the Review’s recommendations will form part of the main business of the Department and will be executed through a whole of UK Defence effort.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North of 14 March 2025, reference LB46879 on British Leadership in Multilateral Development Finance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean issued a response to the hon. Member on 12 May 2025.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the proportion of police staff involved with investigating (a) fraud and (b) other types of economic crime in 2023 and 2024.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A new National Fraud Squad has been established, consisting of a total of c.500 specialist investigators across the NCA, City of London Police and Regional Organised Crime Units. The NFS had c.300 new and existing investigators in post in May 2023 when the Department’s 2023 Fraud Strategy launched. A further c.100 were in post by January 2024, followed by another c.100 this year. The NFS is transforming the law enforcement response by taking a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters, domestically and overseas, jointly with government and industry.