Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been the total cost to policing bodies of work related to the Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair at the Excel Centre in Newham in (a) 2017, (b) 2015, (c) 2013, and (d) 2011.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not hold information on individual police operations, except in relation to some major events or incidents.
Policing of the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what policing and security measures are planned in relation to the 2019 Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not hold information on individual police operations, except in relation to some major events or incidents.
Policing of the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 124053 on Arms Trade: Trade Fairs, if he will publish the (a) personnel and (b) transport costs to the British Army of sending 44 military escort officers to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International in 2017.
Answered by Graham Stuart
There were no personnel and transport costs to the British Army of sending military escort officers to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International in 2017. All associated costs were met in full by the commercial event organiser.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 124053 on Arms Trade: Trade Fairs, what estimate he has made of the number of military escort officers due to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International in 2019.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The number of military escort officers who will be required to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International in September 2019 is not yet finalised.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018 to Question 122006, how many ranks of the Military Escort Officers chaperoned each national delegation to which they were assigned for (a) DSEI 2017 and (b) Farnborough 2016; and how many ranks of the Military Escort Officers are planned to chaperone each national delegation to which are to be assigned for the Security and Policing expo in Farnborough in March 2018.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The number of countries attending, number of Military Escort Officers and their ranks are shown in the tables below for both Defence and Security Equipment International 2017 (DSEI) and Farnborough International Airshow 2016 (FIA).
The number and ranks of Military Escort Officers who will volunteer at Security and Policing 2018 is not yet known.
Farnborough International Airshow 2016 | ||
Number of Countries | Number of Military Escort Officers | Rank of Military Escort Officers |
35 | 4 | Second Lieutenant |
3 | Lieutenant | |
14 | Captain | |
24 | Major | |
1 | Colonel | |
3 | Flying Officer | |
2 | Squadron Leader | |
1 | Pilot Officer | |
5 | Flight Lieutenant | |
1 | Lieutenant Commander | |
Defence and Security Equipment International 2017 | ||
Number of Countries | Number of Military Escort Officers | Rank of Military Escort Officers |
44 | 2 | Second Lieutenant |
10 | Lieutenant | |
17 | Captain | |
27 | Major | |
1 | Lieutenant Colonel | |
2 | Flying Officer | |
1 | Commander | |
2 | Pilot Officer | |
2 | Flight Lieutenant | |
4 | Lieutenant Commander | |
8 | Lieutenant Royal Navy | |
3 | Second Lieutenant Royal Navy | |
Source: DIT DSO Inward Visits Unit
Military Escort Officers are drawn from both the Reserves and the Regular Armed Forces. One Military Escort Officer is normally assigned to chaperone each foreign delegation attending.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to Answer of 15 January 2018 to Question 122006 on Arms Trade: Trade Fairs, if he will publish the ranks of the Military Escort Officers who attended (a) DSEI 2017 and (b) Farnborough 2016; and what the ranks are of the Military Escort Officers who are planned to attend the Security and Policing expo in Farnborough in March 2018.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The number of countries attending, number of Military Escort Officers and their ranks are shown in the tables below for both Defence and Security Equipment International 2017 (DSEI) and Farnborough International Airshow 2016 (FIA).
The number and ranks of Military Escort Officers who will volunteer at Security and Policing 2018 is not yet known.
Farnborough International Airshow 2016 | ||
Number of Countries | Number of Military Escort Officers | Rank of Military Escort Officers |
35 | 4 | Second Lieutenant |
3 | Lieutenant | |
14 | Captain | |
24 | Major | |
1 | Colonel | |
3 | Flying Officer | |
2 | Squadron Leader | |
1 | Pilot Officer | |
5 | Flight Lieutenant | |
1 | Lieutenant Commander | |
Defence and Security Equipment International 2017 | ||
Number of Countries | Number of Military Escort Officers | Rank of Military Escort Officers |
44 | 2 | Second Lieutenant |
10 | Lieutenant | |
17 | Captain | |
27 | Major | |
1 | Lieutenant Colonel | |
2 | Flying Officer | |
1 | Commander | |
2 | Pilot Officer | |
2 | Flight Lieutenant | |
4 | Lieutenant Commander | |
8 | Lieutenant Royal Navy | |
3 | Second Lieutenant Royal Navy | |
Source: DIT DSO Inward Visits Unit
Military Escort Officers are drawn from both the Reserves and the Regular Armed Forces. One Military Escort Officer is normally assigned to chaperone each foreign delegation attending.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
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.
Answered by Graham Stuart
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.
Exhibition | Year | Number of military Escort Officers |
Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) | 2013 | 98 |
Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) | 2014 | 59 |
Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) | 2015 | 94 |
Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) | 2016 | 54 |
Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) | 2017 | 79 |
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2017 to Question 8328, what assessment his Department made of the human rights records of those countries his Department invited to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition that was held in London in September 2017 prior to those invitations being sent.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Department for International Trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertake a stringent process of scrutiny and approval before any invitations to foreign governments are issued, for major UK defence exhibitions like DSEI.
Respect for human rights is a mandatory consideration in the process and a country would not be invited where that would contradict the UK’s international obligations. Invitations are reviewed if the situation in any one country changes significantly prior to an exhibition.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2017 to Question 8328, what factors his Department took into account when deciding which countries to invite to the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition that was held in London in September 2017.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Department for International Trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertake a stringent process of scrutiny and approval before any invitations to foreign governments are issued, for major UK defence exhibitions like DSEI.
Respect for human rights is a mandatory consideration in the process and a country would not be invited where that would contradict the UK’s international obligations. Invitations are reviewed if the situation in any one country changes significantly prior to an exhibition.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government is taking steps to monitor the (a) sale and (b) promotion by companies at the Defence and Security Equipment International of (i) electric stun guns, baton type, (ii) electric stun guns, hand type, (iii) leg irons and (iv) thumb cuffs to countries to which (A) the UK and (B) international obligations prohibit the sale of (1) such and (2) military equipment.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Government worked closely with the exhibition organiser, Clarion Defence and Security Ltd, to ensure that all exhibitors at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) were aware of their export control obligations. This includes which items they were prohibited from supplying or delivering – or agreeing to supply or deliver – or refraining from acts calculated to promote the supply or delivery of such items, including exhibiting and advertising. Government hosted a pre-event briefing with Clarion to ensure they were fully aware of their responsibilities. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who are responsible for the enforcement of export and trade controls, also attended the briefing to provide clear compliance guidance and to review the procedures Clarion had put in place.
The Export Control Joint Unit had a dedicated stand at DSEI which was manned by Ministry of Defence, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Trade officials. HMRC were present during each day of the exhibition to ensure exhibitors complied with UK Trade Controls, as they were in 2015. C-RICH Co and other stall holders were visited by HMRC.