§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many British embassies are engaged in exhibitions of British Maritime History, Products and Service for fisheries, as has been done at the British Embassy in Quito, Ecuador; and whether the Government will do their best to encourage all embassies to promote British maritime expertise. [HL4075]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe Commercial Section of the British Embassy in Quito has been promoting a catalogue exhibition to be staged in Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil and Manta, which targets possible opportunities for UK manufacturers of fishing equipment and safety gear in the two latter cities. The exhibition does not however have a specific maritime theme.
British Trade International was set up in May this year (following the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary's 12 March statement on the results of the Wilson Review on Export Promotion) to bring together in a single joint department the trade and investment promotion work at home and overseas of the FCO and DTI. British Trade International encourages all our overseas missions to target market opportunities in sectors which offer the best possibilities for British exports or investment.
15WABritish Trade International works with other government departments to ensure that their own sector priorities and interests are not overlooked. In addition, the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) within the MoD is principally responsible for co-ordinating government support for British defence exports, including maritime equipment and services, in the following countries: Australia, Brunei, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Turkey.