Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase bilateral trade with Indonesia; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to growing trade between the UK and Indonesia. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) appointed my hon. Friend, the Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham) as Trade Envoy to Indonesia in November 2012. He has visited Indonesia six times since his appointment and has introduced British companies to senior decision makers in the Indonesian government and the private sector, as well as promoting the benefits of doing business in Indonesia at events across the UK. British exports of goods to Indonesia grew by 2.6% in 2012 and 8% in 2013 .

Indonesia is also part of the Government’s Overseas Business Network Initiative, through which the British Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia provides additional complementary services to British companies seeking to do business in Indonesia. This initiative has enabled a doubling in the assistance offered to British companies.

The Government announced the establishment of the UK ASEAN Business Council (UKABC) in November 2011. The UKABC’s purpose is to facilitate a step change in trade between the UK and South East Asia by raising awareness of the opportunities in the region and providing practical advice on doing business there. This year the UKABC has organised four events specifically focussed on Indonesia; representatives from the UK Trade and Investment Indonesia team or the British Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia have also participated in the UKABC’s regionally-focussed events.