Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department have been allocated to deal with issues related to international trade in (a) each of the past five years and (b) the next two years; and if he will make a statement.

As at 14 December 2022, 28 Civil Servants and military officers are directly engaged in work on international trade. Figures for the past five years are not recorded and there are no forecasts for the next two years.

It should be noted that significant numbers of other officials and military personnel across the Ministry of Defence have roles that contribute to international trade, and a large proportion of this work is channelled through the Department for International Trade's Defence and Security Exports team.