§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent by her Department in each year since 1997–98 on promoting British military equipment and arms sales to foreign customers. [131110]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) of the Ministry of Defence takes lead responsibility for promoting British military equipment and arms sales to foreign customers. The Department of Trade and Industry does provide some support to defence companies wishing to export where this is likely to produce economic benefit for the UK and complies with export control regulations imposed by the UK. However, it is not possible to separately identify the Department's overall spend on this activity in each year since 1997–98.
British Trade International, through the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA), support the presence of UK companies at overseas Exhibitions and Seminars using the Support for Exhibitions and Seminars scheme (SESA) and its predecessor the Trade Fair Support scheme. The amount of grant provided to companies through DMA is as follows:
Grant (£) 1997–98 67,850 1998–99 707,015 1999–2000 167,832 2000–01 268,592 2001–02 164,089 2002–03 311,934 Note:
The annual variation in amounts reflects the variation in the number and type of major export events occurring each year.