§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries Ministers in his Department conducted arms promotion activities in(a) 2002 and (b) 2003 to date; and if he will make a statement. [112293]
286W
§ Mr. Straw[pursuant to his answer, 14 July 2003, Official Report, c. 48W]: I regret that an administrative error led to an omission in my answer of 14 July 2003 to the right hon. Member. The correct answer should read as follows:
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers regularly conduct overseas visits in the course of which they promote British exports, including those of defence equipment.
For 2002, our records indicate that Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers carried out such promotion activities in Chile, Hungary, India and Singapore; and in 2003 to date, Singapore. In 2002, Ministers also carried out promotion in relation to exports to the Czech Republic, but while in the UK. In 2003, ministerial promotion also took place in relation to exports to India, but while the Minister was in the UK. Negotiations for defence exports may extend over many years and may often be raised informally in the margins of other meetings.