  We complete the determination of the $\ell$-block distribution of characters
for quasi-simple exceptional groups of Lie type up to some minor ambiguities
relating to non-uniqueness of Jordan decomposition. For this, we first
determine the $\ell$-block distribution for finite reductive groups whose
ambient algebraic group defined in characteristic different from $\ell$ has
connected centre. As a consequence we derive a compatibility between
$\ell$-blocks, $e$-Harish-Chandra series and Jordan decomposition. Further we
apply our results to complete the proof of Robinson's conjecture on defects of
characters.
