To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expert advisers have been commissioned by his Department and its agencies since 1997; on what topic each was commissioned; and whether the adviser so appointed made a declaration of political activity in each case. (246958)

The data requested are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However public appointments to the MOD's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are run through a visibly open, fair and rigorous recruitment and selection process under the rules of the Office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments (OCPA). Successful candidates have to declare their political activities. Information on MOD's public appointments can be found at:

www.mod.uk

In respect of information on MOD's special advisers, since 2003 their names, overall costs and the number in each pay band are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office.