§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 February 1998,Official Report, column 486, if he will place a copy of the Defence Export Services Organisation five-year Strategic Plan in the Library. [31319]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 27 February 1998]: The Defence Export Services Organisation's, DESO, Five-Year Strategic Plan is the Ministry of Defence's detailed assessment of future market prospects and the UK's marketing objectives. It is built up on the basis of sensitive information provided by companies and other Governments on the understanding that it would not be made public. It is normal practice for companies to withhold detailed information on their forward marketing plans because these provide information which could be an advantage to commercial competitors.
Publication of the DESO Strategic Plan would harm the UK's commercial and national interests. I am therefore withholding the document under the provisions of Exemptions 1, 13 and 14 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.