§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are(a) employed in and (b) seconded to the Defence Export Services Organisation; and how many departmental staff are engaged in oversight of the licensing of military equipment and weapons for export. [142521]
§ Mr. IngramThe Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) employed 606 personnel as at 31 October 2003; three were on secondment from industry.
The Department of Trade and Industry is the licensing authority for the export of military equipment. Within the Ministry of Defence the equivalent of 65 full-time staff have specific responsibility for considering applications to licence the export of military equipment, or the policy associated with this activity. This number includes 34 employed full-time within DESO.