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Export Licensing via Internet Service Project

Volume 454: debated on Monday 18 December 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was spent on the Export Licensing via Internet Service Project, broken down by main budget heading. (109318)

The Export Licensing via Internet Service Project (ELVIS) is a DTI-only based system that was introduced to enable exporters to submit electronic export licence applications via the Internet.

The Joined-up and More Efficient Working on Export Licensing (JEWEL) review, completed at the end of 2003, looked at ways of improving cooperation across the export licensing community, i.e. DTI, FCO, MOD and DfID, so as to deliver, collectively, a more efficient service to exporters consistent with achieving the Government’s policy aims through the licensing system. One of its conclusions was to establish a cross-departmental electronic licensing system.

The Shared Primary Information Resource Environment (SPIRE) programme is the successor to ELVIS and aims to fully automate the Export Control Licensing system from the receipt of applications (over the Internet), through to the issue of electronic licences. SPIRE is scheduled to go live in autumn 2007.

The approved budget for SPIRE is £2.21 million, of which £434,000 has been spent to end October 2006.