Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the cost to the public purse was of chaperoning foreign delegations in UK sponsored arms fairs; how many military escort officers chaperoned such delegations in each of the last five years; how such officers are selected; and which Department pays the cost.

There is no cost to the public purse. All additional costs are met in full by the respective commercial event organisers. Escort Officers respond to a call from their military chain of command to volunteer for the task. The number of military Escort Officers used to chaperone foreign delegations at UK sponsored defence exhibitions in each of the last five years is shown in the table below.