§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will discuss with our EC partners the possibility of joint action to combat sex tourism in south east Asia, and in particular, the need for closer co-operation between the police forces of the sending and receiving countries.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)Effective action to combat such tourism is best carried out by each member state with the relevant authorities in south east Asia on a bilateral basis.
We have made clear to the relevant authorities in south east Asia our readiness to work with them bilaterally.