§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he sought with representatives of British export companies prior to his recent announcement of the closure of some overseas diplomatic posts; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for this decision.
§ Mr. RentonWe had the interests of British exporters very much in mind when considering the lists of posts to be closed. The views of the DTI were sought before final decisions were taken. Both they and our officials are in close touch with industry and its representative bodies on the importance of our commercial services in different parts of the world.
The reasons for the closures were given in my right hon. and learned Friend's statement to the House on 22 November 1984 at columns 623–31.