HC Deb 09 September 2003 vol 410 c322W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 14 July 2003,Official Report, columns 47–48W, how many meetings were attended by his Department's Ministers to promote the export of British defence equipment with officials from (a) Chile, (b) India, (c) Singapore, (d) Czech Republic, (e) Slovakia and (J) Tanzania in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2003; what equipment was discussed; and if he will make a statement. [127657]

Mr. Straw

Many of the occasions during which Ministers discuss UK-origin defence equipment with representatives of foreign governments do not form part of formal meetings. It is not therefore possible to provide figures about the number of meetings concerned. Disclosure of the types of equipment concerned may infringe on commercial confidentiality or provide sensitive information on the defence procurement strategies of foreign countries. I am withholding this information under exemptions 1 and 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Back to