§ 25. Mr. MilliganTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current status of Britain's relations with Singapore.
§ Mr. GoodladOur relations with Singapore are excellent, as I was able to confirm during my visit from 5 to 7 April.
While in Singapore, I had talks with the Prime Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, the senior Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, and other Ministers on a range of issues. I also met leading figures in the economic and commercial sectors, and was able to reiterate the growing interest of British firms in doing business with Singapore, now the United Kingdom's 19th largest export market with two-way trade in 1992 totalling over £2 billion.
Relations are strong, too, in the fields of English language teaching and education, with some 3,000 Singaporean students attending tertiary courses in the United Kingdom. We continue to attach importance to defence co-operation, through the five power defence arrangements and the Royal Navy's use of two berths at Sembawang.