§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with leading British diamond purchasers, with particular reference to De Beers, as to what controls they have put in place to ensure that they are not purchasing Angolan diamonds without a certificate of origin. [99158]
§ Mr. HainOn 5 October, De Beers announced an embargo on the purchase of all diamonds from Angola by its buying offices world-wide. I applaud this decision and hope that others will follow their example to put pressure on UNITA and bring them to the negotiating table. We continue to hold regular discussions with De Beers, representatives of which I met recently.