§ Mr. Tom Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline the role of the Defence Exports Services Organisation and its funding arrangements.
§ Mr. SainsburyThe DESO exists to assist British defence industries to promote and sell their goods abroad in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's policy. In so doing it plays a significant part in increasing the country's trade and employment. Details of the funding arrangements for the Defence Export Services Organisation are contained in table 4 "Exports of defence equipment Votes 1 and 2" of the MOD Supply Estimates for 1987–88.
§ Mr. Tom Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the Defence Exports Services Organisation operations for each of the years 1979 to 1986 including (a) the total number of staff of the Defence Exports Services Organisation and their gradings, (b) the countries visited by Defence Exports Services Organisation staff and the dates of the visits, (c) the equipment exports agreed and (d) the value of exports to each country expressed in constant 1986–87 prices.
§ Mr. SainsburyIt is not the practice to give details of countries visited by Defence Export Services Organisation staff or of individual exports to particular countries. Statistics of United Kingdom defence sales by broad geographic regions are set out in volume 2 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates". Detailed figures of DESO staff are not available from 1979 and could only be provided at disproportionate time and effort. The total numbers at 1 April 1983 and 1 April 1987 were 353 and 251 respectively.