§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department and companies owned by his Department work on assisting with the export of defence equipment; and how many of these staff have served in the armed forces. [23359]
§ Mr. FreemanThe Defence Export Services Organisation, which includes the Disposal Sales Agency, exists to help British manufacturers market and sell their products abroad, complementing the wider range of services offered by the DTI. There are 691 staff in the DESO, of whom 233 are serving military personnel, and a further five are retired officers. Records of previous military service, including national service, are not held centrally. IMS Ltd. is wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Defence, but has ceased trading.