§ Ms DrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed by Government departments and agencies to assist in supporting and promoting exports of medical and pharmaceutical equipment; and at what cost. [66037]
§ Mr. WilsonPrincipal responsibility for promoting exports in this sector rests with three civil servants in the Export Promotion Command of my Department in liaison with five officials from the Department of Health and an Export Promoter seconded from industry. The running cost of the civil servants themselves, excluding the programme budget for which they are responsible, is £254k.
The total cost of the Overseas Trade Service's export promotion programme in 1997–98 was estimated to have been approximately £220 million, of which £165 million was the cost of 824.55 posts in the DTI, 92 staff in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and FCO staff in 217 overseas posts with commercial sections. Figures indicating the percentage of these resources devoted to promoting exports of medical and pharmaceutical equipment are not available.