§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the work he has done to secure(a) Japanese and (b) Korean inward investment into the United Kingdom. [81104]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 16 April 1999]The Invest in Britain Bureau (IBB) is jointly managed by the FCO and DTI. It has active promotion strategies aimed at securing the UK's position as the number one European location for Japanese and Korean investment. The IBB runs a programme of company visits (900 in Japan, 220 in Korea in 1998-99), promotional seminars, media campaigns and inward missions aimed at attracting inward investment, as well as working closely with existing investors alongside the UK Development Agencies.
The Ministerial teams in the FCO and DTI support this both here in the UK and when travelling overseas. For example, I have met a number of Japanese and Korean investors here and when visiting Japan and Korea.