Non-Subscriber Extract
Dismantling of DESO an act of 'bovine stupidity', claims MP
By Keri Smith
11 October 2007
A UK member of parliament (MP) has described the dismantling of the UK's Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) as "an act of bovine stupidity".
Speaking during a House of Commons debate on defence procurement on 9 October, Nicholas Soames MP described DESO as "one of the most effective organisations in this country for promoting British commercial interests" and one that has "done so much to raise this country's defence export sales".
He added: "Our defence products are admired all over the world and are a very important part of our commercial life.
"Scrapping DESO is an act of bovine stupidity, engineered by some communist woman at the Treasury, I understand, who decided that it would be in the interests of the UK to do away with one of the most effective organisations in this country for promoting British commercial interests."
On 26 July, Jane's reported that the UK government had dissolved DESO and devolved responsibility for promoting and licensing the export of UK military equipment to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) - the government organisation that supports UK-based companies in the global economy.
A written ministerial statement, dated 25 July, entitled 'Machinery of Government: Defence Trade Promotion', stated: "The government believes trade promotion for defence exports should be more effectively integrated with the government's general trade support activities, while recognising and accommodating the specific requirements of the defence sector."
According to the statement, DESO functions that support the UK defence policy and the UK armed forces will be allocated elsewhere within the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).