To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's Notice to Exporters 2013-18: Important Changes to the Strategic Export Control Transparency Initiative, for what reason exporters will not be required to (a) report the rating or goods description and (b) provide control list classifications or descriptions of the items exported.

The Government is committed to transparency in export licensing, which is why we regularly publish information about licences issued and refused through annual and quarterly reports. Comprehensive information is available at

https://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk/eng/fox/sdb/SDBHOME

In extending this commitment to transparency it has become clear that we need to strike a proper balance between increased transparency and the need to minimise administrative burdens on business. The original proposals did not strike that balance. In making the final preparations for the launch of the Transparency initiative we reviewed its scope and the potential for it to impose unnecessary burdens on business. Consequently, the requirement for exporters to report on the rating or goods description and to provide control list classifications or descriptions of the items to be exported was removed.