§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the staff of the Defence Export Services Organisation are seconded from industry; and what their functions in the organisation are.
§ Mr. SainsburyThere are four members of staff within the Defence Export Services Organisation who have been seconded from industry.
- (a) The Head of Defence Export Services is responsible for undertaking all necessary actions within Whitehall and in our relations with other governments to encourage and promote the sale of British defence equipment overseas where these offer the prospect of benefits commensurate with the risks involved.
396 - (b) The strategic planning officer is directly responsible to the Head of Defence Export Services for developing, co-ordinating and monitoring the Defence Export Services Organisation's planning activity and for providing aid, advice and assistance to British industry on strategic planning and on the long-term geographic opportunities in the world defence market.
- (c) The post of international finance adviser exists to enhance the expertise of the Defence Export Services Organisation in the field of international credit arrangements for defence exports and thus contributes to the range of support provided by the Defence Export Services Organisation to overseas sales by the British defence industry.
- (d) The business development adviser's central task is to advise the Defence Export Services Organisation on the methods of identifying and exploiting new opportunities for defence export business.