Half of the employees seconded to the Department for International Trade have strong links to the defence industry, according to new figures.

The revelation has drawn accusations that Liam Fox’s department, which promotes Britain’s commercial exports, is “shamelessly cosy” with arms traders and ignoring other industries.



The department said its secondees from the private sector provided “valuable business insight and experience”.

Executives from commercial firms have been inserted into the heart of government departments on secondments for many years. The posts usually last a year, and secondees are paid by their companies during their time in Whitehall. Ministers insist that there are strict rules to prevent leaks of sensitive information.

The new figures show that the DIT has taken in 30 secondees since its establishment in July last year after the UK voted for Brexit. Fifteen are from companies involved in the defence industry.

BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest arms company, and Rolls-Royce, which says it is the second largest provider of defence aero-engine products and services in the world, have each provided three secondees.

Both firms have in the past paid bribes to win export orders, but they say safeguards are in place to prevent further legal breaches. .

MBDA, the European missile-maker, has provided two secondees, and the helicopter manufacturer Leonardo, the engineering firm Babcock and the US arms companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have provided one each.

Fox, a leading Brexiter and former defence secretary who was brought back to the cabinet table by Theresa May, is personally responsible for securing big arms deals for UK companies around the world. He mounted an unabashed defence of Britain’s arms industry last month, saying it should be celebrated. He was forced to resign as defence secretary in 2011 following Guardian disclosures about giving a friend access to government.



The details of the secondments were disclosed to Friends of the Earth following a freedom of information request.



Alasdair Cameron, an FOE campaigner, said: “At a time when the UK government is trying to sell the idea of “global Britain”, it’s telling that half of all the corporate secondments to Liam Fox’s department are from the arms industry, and gives us a worrying indication of where he sees Brexit Britain going.

“Aside from casting light on the murky nexus of business and government, it’s also telling what industries are not represented. Where are the clean tech companies that will drive the economy for the next 50 years?”

Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green party, said: “The shameless cosy relationship between the Department for International Trade and the arms industry is deeply concerning.”

“Britain already has an appalling record of shipping weapons to dodgy dictators and repressive regimes across the world, and we risk seeing the government using Brexit to further deepen our country’s relationship with these weapons merchants.”

A DIT spokesperson said: “The government supports responsible defence and security industries which contributed £35bn to our economy last year. All secondees to the department provide valuable business insight and experience from a wide range of high value sectors.”

The department houses a team of officials who are tasked with helping British firms sell military equipment around the globe.

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• This article was amended on 10 October 2017 to remove the words “private sector” from the opening paragraph as it is half of all employees seconded to the Department for International Trade who have strong links to the defence industry, not just those from the private sector.







