To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation staff have applied for early release under the Ministry of Defence 2008 Early Severance Scheme. (247768)

29 staff in the UKTI Defence and Security Organisation applied for early release under the MOD 2008 Early Severance Scheme. Two of these staff have moved to posts in other parts of the MOD since their application for early release). Of the 24 staff who accepted the offer, eight will leave by April 2009 and the remaining 16 staff will leave by April 2010.