Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Wednesday, 19 April 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 26 April 2006. It was answered by Ian Pearson (Labour) on Wednesday, 26 April 2006 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

India

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of trade relations with India.

Answer: Trade relations between India and the UK are traditionally strong and bilateral trade continues to show excellent growth.The value of bilateral trade with India for goods and services in 2004 was approximately £6.41 billion (2005 figures will be released in July 2006). This was an increase from £5.91 billion in 2003. UK exports to India show a 25.4 per cent. increase to December 2005 compared to the same period in 2004.The UK is currently the fifth biggest investor in India.To further strengthen bilateral commercial ties the Government have worked with its Indian counterparts in creating the Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO). Under JETCO the UK and Indian governments are working on the main action points to enhance bilateral trade and investment in specific sectors.The Asia Task Force was also created to identify and remove barriers to trade across the whole of Asia, but with particular focus on India and China.The Government also supports the private sector led Indo-British Partnership Network (IBPN). The main objectives of the IBPN are to provide a networking forum for all UK businesses interested in trade between India and the UK; to identify ways for UK firms to better access the India market and to inform government of the private sector's view of the barriers to trade between the two countries.

Secondary information