§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what forms of Government support are provided to British arms exports; and what is the level of bonuses to be paid for the financial year 1995–96 to the(a) head of Defence Export Services Organisation, (b) offset adviser and (c) international financial adviser. [24080]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotWithin the Ministry of Defence, support for Defence exports is provided, primarily, by the Defence Export Services Organisation, which exists to help British manufacturers market and sell their products abroad, complementing the wide range of services offered by the Department of Trade and Industry. In addition to DESO/DTI support, the Export578W Credits Guarantee Department makes available its range of export credit facilities to support defence sales. The head of defence export services may be awarded a "bonus" of up to 15 per cent. of his annual salary depending on performance. The offset adviser and international financial adviser, who are civil servants, were eligible for the performance-related pay awards which applied to their grades. These were up to 4 per cent. from 1 April 1995, with a further award of up to 4 per cent. from 30 November 1995 for the offset adviser and up to 3 per cent. from 1 August 1995 for the international financial adviser; no specific bonuses attach to these posts.