Oral Answers to Questions

David Rutley Excerpts

Wednesday 12th December 2012 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

1. What recent assessment she has made of her Department’s relationship with the Indian Government.

[Mr Mark Spencer (Sherwood) (Con)]

7. What recent assessment she has made of her Department’s relationship with the Indian Government.

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Justine Greening)]

I held constructive meetings with senior politicians and officials in India last month. We agreed the move to a new relationship based on technical assistance rather than financial aid grants. I announced this in my written ministerial statement of 9 November.

[David Rutley]

Does my right hon. Friend agree with the Indian Foreign Minister, Salman Khurshid, who has spoken of the need to move from an era of aid to an era of trade?

[Justine Greening]

That is precisely the transition that I believe we are walking towards with India. Our trade with India has grown in recent years, with exports to India growing by more than 20% in 2010. Our development relationship needs to match the changing and successful India we see today, and that is precisely what we are doing.