§ Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the written advice his Department gave to British companies considering contracts in Chechnya. [64168]
§ Mr. Tony LloydI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Mrs. Browning) on 14 December 1998,Official Report, column 402.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what(a) guidance, (b) advice and (c) assistance was (i) offered to and (ii) requested by the Chechen authorities in connection with the search for the four hostages. [64167]
§ Mr. Tony LloydDuring the 15-month captivity in Chechnya of Camilla Carr and Jon James, and the subsequent tragic kidnap of Rudolf Petschi, Peter Kennedy, Darren Hickey and Stanley Shaw, the FCO, HM Embassy Moscow and the Metropolitan Police corresponded with and held meetings with the Chechen authorities outside Chechnya to discuss the two cases. Some of these contacts followed requests for assistance from the Chechen authorities, but most were at our request. We provided some non-lethal police equipment to the Chechen investigating authorities, to assist them. At the last such meeting, with Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Atgeriev in London on 26 October, we emphasised the need to avoid endangering the four men's lives. Atgeriev agreed that the safety of the hostages was paramount. He confirmed that the equipment provided by the UK had been of assistance to his staff.