Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office written question – answered at on 19 January 2023.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication of spending over £500 with a Government procurement card in January 2021, what items were purchased from Emma Bridgewater Ltd on 15 and 20 January 2021; and for what purpose those items were purchased by his Department.
These were for gifts provided to members of the UN Security Council and senior UN officials, to support the UK's February 2021 Security Council Presidency. This reflects routine practice by the rotating presidencies of the Security Council to offer small gifts to the senior diplomats of all Security Council members.
The exchange of gifts has long been an important part of building relations and diplomacy. Gifts for the UK's Presidencies are usually procured from British brands and businesses, to support the promotion of British products.
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