HC Deb 18 July 2003 vol 409 cc783-4W
Mr. Jenkin

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UK Government officials attended the Canberra meeting on 11 July to discuss the Madrid initiative; what was(a) agreed and (b) discussed at the meeting; and when and where the next meeting will be held. [126465]

Mr. Rammell

[holding answer 17 July 2003]: The meeting to discuss the proliferation and security initiative took place in Brisbane on 9 and 10 July. The UK delegation to the meeting was led by the Director for International Security at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He was supported by officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

There was wide-ranging discussion about how to take forward the initiative following on from the first meeting held in Madrid in June. The chairman of the meeting issued a statement covering the discussions. This can be found on the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) internet website at www.dfat.gov.au/globalissues.

It is likely that the next meeting will be held in France in early September.