§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations or communications he had from the United States Secretary of State prior to the agreement with North Korea over its nuclear programme; and what assistance or opportunities are available to Her Majesty's Government or British companies to meet the aims of the agreement.
§ Mr. David DavisWe have been in frequent contact with the United States at both ministerial and official level1198W throughout the crisis over North Korea's nuclear programme. We have welcomed the framework agreement signed by the United States and North Korea on 21 October. As part of that agreement, the United States has undertaken to put together an international consortium, the Korean Energy Development Organisation, to provide North Korea with two light water reactors and to help it meet its energy needs while those reactors are under construction. We have told the Americans that we are prepared to offer technical advice to KEDO, but that no United Kingdom funds will be available. We shall, of course, facilitate the involvement of any United Kingdom companies that wish to bid for any part of the reactor project business. We understand that South Korea and Japan will play a central role in the financing and construction of the reactors.