Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on reducing complexity in export-control processes for defence SMEs.

Export control processes are designed carefully to facilitate responsible exports, balancing appropriate levels of control over defence-related exports with compliance requirements for business. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will work with the Department for Business and Trade in conducting a review of export licensing working to ensure those processes remain fit for purpose, in line with the recommendations of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review. MOD also helps UK Defence SMEs understand and navigate UK export controls through the UK Defence Exports Faculty, to maximise their export success.