---

Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the total value of contracts awarded to date in Kosovo since the cessation of hostilities, broken down by nationality of company. [95405] Mr. Caborn: Almost all the contracts awarded to date to agencies and companies have been those to meet the immediate humanitarian needs in Kosovo. There is no central register of the multiplicity of such agencies which have won such contracts either through bilateral aid support or through that provided via other organisations such as the United Nations. However, British Trade International, the recently established joint DTI/FCO trade promotion organisation has, in conjunction with the British Office in Pristina, been asked (through the joint private sector Kosovo Taskforce established by the Secretary of State) to put together a list with details of all British companies which have won contracts in Kosovo. The most significant of these to date is the concession awarded to a British consortium led by Mott MacDonald to manage the power sector in Kosovo over the next seven months; this should help ensure that there is sufficient power to enable Kosovo to get through the forthcoming hard winter. British Trade International has put nearly £500,000 into this project; a similar amount has been provided by the European Union.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

336 c656-7W; 95405

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Contracts Construction Development aid Infrastructure Kosovo Ceasefires

Contains statistics

Yes