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Mr. Stevenson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the policy is of his Department regarding the use of goods and products manufactured in the UK by overseas embassies and consulates. [121097]
Mr. Rammell
All goods and products used by overseas embassies and consulates are purchased in line with FCO purchasing policy.FCO purchasing policy is in accordance with the Government's Public Purchasing Consolidated Guidelines, which require the procurement of goods and services to be based on value for money and that they should be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary.
| Dates | Destination | Purpose of trip | Interlocutors | Cost of Public funds (if yet available) | Gifts received (if any) |
| 2003 | |||||
| 2 to 3 April | Berlin and Brussels | Bilateral to Berlin and visit to NATO Brussels | Berlin: German Foreign Minister NATO Secretary General. US Secretary of State | £8,095.71 | |
| 8 to 9 April | Paris and Madrid | Bilateral | Paris: French Foreign Minister Madrid: Spanish Foreign Minister | £8,688.75 | |
| 13 to 16 April | Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and Riyadh | Bilateral | Bahrain: King, Foreign Minister, Crown Prince Kuwait: Amir, Foreign Minister, British/US Military and NGOs Doha: Amir, Foreign Minister and and British/US Military Riyadh: King, Crown Prince, Foreign Minister | Not yet available | Bahrain: Porcelain vase and rug Qatar: Arabian Oryx statue |
| 16 April | Athens | Informal European Council and Signature of the Accession | Heads of State/Government and Foreign Ministers | Not yet available | Silver and plate given by the Greek Foreign Minister |
| 17 April | Athens | European Conference | Heads of State/Government and Foreign Ministers | Not yet available | |
| 24 April | Brussels | Bilateral | French and German Foreign Ministers, EU Secretary-General and High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy | £2549.42 | |
| 2 to 3 May | Rhodes, Greece | Gymnich (informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers) | EU Foreign Ministers | £15,953.50 | Three jars of olives and two CDs given by the Greek Foreign Minister. |
| 12 to 14 May | Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town | Bilateral and attendance at the Walter Sisulu memorial service | President, Sports Minister, Foreign Minister, opposition leader. | Not yet available | Shirt and writing pad given on behalf of Nelson Mandela |
| 19 May | Brussels | GAERC | EU Foreign Ministers | £3,305.33 | |
| 22 to 23 May | Paris | G8 Foreign Ministers meeting | G8 Foreign Ministers | £2,820.49 | |
| 3 June | Madrid | NATO Foreign Ministers meeting | NATO Foreign Ministers | Not yet available | |
| 16 June | Luxembourg | GAERC | EU Foreign Ministers | Not yet available | |
| 19 to 21 June | Porto Carras, Greece | European Council and EU/Western Balkans Summit | Heads of State/Government and Foreign Ministers | Not yet available |