§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the official engagements of the Minister for Overseas Development for each day since Tuesday 26 March.
§ Mrs. ChalkerAs the hon. Gentleman knows, since 26 March my time has been increasingly taken up with matters concerning relief to the Iraqi refugees. This580W situation has continued on a daily basis regardless of any other official or private business and has been maintained by telephone and facsimile line during periods when I was out of the country.
My main official engagements since 26 March, excluding a large number of meetings and other official engagements, are as follows:
On Tuesday 26 March I met the Kenyan Finance Minister and Vice-President, hosted a reception for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and attended European Standing Committee B for its debate on African, Caribbean and Pacific countries' debt.
On Wednesday 27 March I met the British Red Cross official dealing with the Iraqi refugees and addressed the London chamber of commerce.
On Monday 8 April I met the British High Commissoner from Kampala and our ambassador designate for Peking as well as the French ambassador, with whom I discussed European Bank for Reconstruction and Development matters and Iraqi refugee needs.
On 9 and 10 April I met with senior officials in the State Department and the National Security Council in Washington.
On 11 April I met with the UN Secretary-General.
On Monday 15 April with the Secretary of State I held meetings with representatives of non-governmental organisations dealing with assistance for Iraqi refugees and attended the inauguration and the main business session of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
On Tuesday 16 April I met the Presidents of Tanzania and Cyprus, the French Overseas Development Minister and our ambassadors to Zaire and Senegal. I also addressed the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development meeting and made arrangements for the Turkey-Iran visit.
On Wednesday 17 April I had meetings with the West Indian commission, and the Sudanese Finance Minister. I also gave evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on our assistance for Iraqi refugees among other subjects.
I visited Turkey and Iran between 18 and 21 April.
On Monday 22 April I called on the President of the Republic of South Africa. I had a meeting with the head of the British Red Cross. I answered oral questions in the House and made a statement on Iraqi refugees.