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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the last occasion on which a Government Minister led a trade delegation to (a) Algeria, (b) Argentina, (c) Australia, (d) Bahrain and (e) Bangladesh; and what future trade delegations are planned. [76520] Mr. Wilson: There has been no Ministerial led trade mission to Algeria during the past 10 years. There are no trade missions planned for Algeria. My hon. Friend the Minister for Transport in London, led a trade delegation to Argentina in July 1998. There are 8 trade missions planned to Argentina during the next financial year: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Date Trade International Northern Ireland April 1999 Latin American Trade Advisory Group/ABHI May 1999 Northern Development Company May 1999 Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry July 1999 Southern Derbyshire Chamber/BL North Derbyshire September 1999 Birmingham Chamber of Industry and Commerce November 1999 British Argentine Chamber of Commerce November 1999 London Chamber of Commerce and Industry March 2000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales led a trade mission to Australia in October last year. The following 12 missions are planned for the coming year: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Date The Northern Offshore Federation 19-23 April 1999 The Sports Industries Federation 21-25 June 1999 Association of British Healthcare Industries 5-9 July 1999 Business Link Sussex 30 August-3 September 1999 Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry 20-24 September 1999 Northern Development Company 4-8 October 1999 North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry 18-22 October 1999 Australia and New Zealand Trade Advisory Committee (ANZTAC) 22-26 November 1999 Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry 7-11 February 2000 Business Link Shropshire 13-17 March 2000 Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry 20-24 March 2000 The Scottish Council Development and Industry (SCDI) date not yet decided _________________________________________________________________________________________________. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition and Consumer Affairs opened a British Week event in November last year in Bangladesh. One trade mission is planned this year: Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry 6-13 November 1999. The last visit by a Minister to Bahrain was undertaken by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment in November 1997. The following four missions are planned for the coming year: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Date Coventry and Worcester Chamber of Commerce 28-30 September 1999 Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce International 22-24 January 2000 Middle East Association 22-25 February 2000 Rotherham Business Link 5-8 April 2000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. I commend the hon. Member to the Overseas Trade Services website (http://www.dti.gov.uk/ots) on which a list of future missions, seminars and trade fairs is displayed for all our major markets.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

76520; 328 c113-5W

Session

1998-99

Subjects

Australia Ministers Bangladesh Argentina Algeria Trade missions Bahrain