Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what powers are available to which Ministers to control imports on national security grounds; and if she will publish details of (a) when and (b) how those powers have been used in the last five years.

Ministers for the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) can control imports into the UK through various means, notably the Open General Import Licence. This permits the importation of all goods into the United Kingdom, subject to various exceptions which include goods such as firearms and nuclear materials. These exceptions are granted under the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954.

DBT does not have policy responsibility for all import controls — The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is responsible for Government policy on sanctions, although relevant departments work closely together on this.

The UK’s import controls regime is consistent with its domestic and international obligations. Controls can be used for numerous reasons including national security.