§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the proportion of military attachés' time allocated to promoting military exports; and if he will indicate what priority this is given in their job description. [140460]
§ Mr. SpellarSupport to the Defence Export Sales Organisation (DESO) is one of the core functions of an attaché. However, the priority given in their job description varies according to the export prospects in the host country. Defence Sections in embassies and High Commissions are set annual objectives that reflect British interests in that country.
A survey of attache output in Financial Year 1999–2000 revealed that, on average, 11 per cent. of attaches' time was devoted to supporting DESO.