Belize (Hansard, 5 November 2001)

§ Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2001,Official Report, columns 41–42W, on Belize, if she will place in the Library copies of the documents which recorded the conversation between her Permanent Secretary and the senior partner of KPMG on 18 May. [11615]

§ Clare Short
The conversation was confidential to the parties concerned.

§ Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date her Department obtained legal advice on the validity and applicability of the 1982 Britain-Belize Investor Protection Treaty for the Public Investment Companies with regard to the study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; what the conclusion of this legal advice was; on what date this advice was passed to the Government of Belize; and if she will place in the Library a copy of this advice. [11602]

§ Clare Short
Counsel's advice was received on 7 September and passed to the Government of Belize on 13 September. The advice is confidential to the UK and Belize Governments.

§ Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department requested KPMG to assess whether the 1982 Britain-Belize Investor Protection Treaty applied to the public investment companies during the study commissioned by her Department to review the regulation of offshore financial services in Belize and the effect of tax exemptions on pro-poor programmes; when this request was made by her Department; what the conclusion of this assessment was; and if she will place in the Library a copy of KPMG's assessment. [11604]
18W
Due to the disproportionate cost involved we are not able to provide the full level of details requested. However within the main categories we have produced:

§ Clare Short
The request was implicit in the terms of reference for the study KPMG was contracted to undertake on 11 July 2000. KPMG's conclusion on this assessment was recorded in their report on the study. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 July 2001,Official Report, column 531W, concerning the confidentiality of the KPMG report.

§ Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 13 July 2001,Official Report, column 653W, on Belize, if she will place in the Library (a) a copy of the correspondence of 25 August 2000 in which her Department was informed by KPMG that KPMG were the external auditors of the Belize Bank and (b) copies of responses made by her Department to KPMG following the receipt of this correspondence. [11611]

§ Clare Short
A copy of the letter dated 25 August 2000 to DFID will be placed in the Library. The enclosures referred to in that letter are confidential to the parties concerned. No written response was made to this letter.

§ Matthew Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings her Department has held since 3 August with the Government of Belize to discuss progress on the Commonwealth debt initiative and the effect of tax exemptions and public investment companies on pro-poor programmes; where each of these meetings took place; and which departments of the Government of Belize attended. [11603]

§ Clare Short
Following my decision on CDI, referred to in my answer to question [6605] and sent to you during the recess, I met with Prime Minister Said Musa in London on 22 October to discuss this and other matters relevant to Belize.