Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alex Chalk and Lord Swire

Tuesday 12th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Swire]

The Prime Minister wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 2 July to extend his condolences. I spoke to Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July to express my condemnation of this senseless act of horror.

[Alex Chalk (Cheltenham) (Con)]

7. What recent assessment he has made of the strength of diplomatic and economic relations between India and the UK.

[The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Hugo Swire)]

Our relations with India remain extremely good. Only this week, I spoke to a high-level group of Indian businessmen here in the United Kingdom, and of course they wanted to know what is happening now with our relationship with India following the recent referendum.

[Alex Chalk]

For individuals and businesses in Cheltenham, the UK’s relationship with India is increasingly important. How will it change post-Brexit?

[Mr Swire]

We still have in this country 1.5 million Indians or people of Indian descent, so the connections are huge and robust. People come to the UK a lot and people go to India a lot. Clearly, early talks about the shape of our trade relationship with India will form part of our discussions over the next year or so.