Oral Answers to Questions

Christopher Pincher Excerpts

Thursday 13th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

13. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s export week campaign.

[Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)]

18. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s export week campaign.

[The Minister for Universities and Science (Mr David Willetts)]

Export week was launched by my colleague Lord Green in May and included over 80 events across the UK, attended by more than 3,600 businesses focusing on 20 high-growth markets.

[Christopher Pincher]

As chairman of the all-party group on Azerbaijan, I attended the Caspian oil and gas conference, where BP announced its further development of the Shah Deniz gas field. What action can the Government take with UK Trade & Investment further to expand British trade with Azerbaijan in order to address the concerns of the governor of Ganja, it’s second city, that, although German, Dutch and French companies are bidding for major infrastructure contracts there, no British companies are involved?

[Mr Willetts]

We are absolutely aware of the international export opportunities presented by major infrastructure projects and are strengthening the commercial role of our embassies in key target markets such as Azerbaijan to ensure that we secure a fair share of those contracts.