§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been carried out since 1 January 1995 on the value for money provided by defence attachés and advisers at British embassies; and on what dates each of them was concluded. [112368]
§ Mr. HoonThe MOD in conjunction with the FCO carried out a detailed and comprehensive review of attaché and adviser placement and their roles as part of the follow up work to the Strategic Defence Review. This review, which was approved by the Defence Council on 20 September 1999, determined where British Defence attachés and advisers should be accredited to best serve British Defence interests abroad. The Official Committee for Service Attachés and Advisers (OCSAA) subsequently scrutinised each post in every Defence Section prior to approving, on 20 October 1999, the implementation plan which will bring into effect the changes agreed in the review.