The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
639.
Mr Straw
and Ms Hewitt wrote to Mr Blair on 22 May, reflecting
on
Baroness
Symons’ visit:
“Our main
objective has been to create a favourable political atmosphere in
which
UK
companies can position themselves to bid for subcontract work from
these initial
US-funded
projects.
“However,
we understand that as yet only 180 of the 3,500 companies
which
have
registered with Bechtel as potential subcontractors … are British.
A share in
the
commercial effort proportionate to our contributions to the
military campaign
will
require a higher level of commitment on the part of UK firms if
they are not to
be squeezed
out by international competition. We could also try to secure
firmer
political
guarantees from the US, and aim for a more co-ordinated HMG
approach
(e.g.
involving ECGD, DFID and MOD …).
“The
feedback on the action we have taken so far from UK business
and
organisations
such as the BCCB and the CBI has been positive. We have
created
the
conditions in which UK companies can pursue business in a
favourable climate,
and
contracts for British companies are now coming through. This is
encouraging.
But it is
for the companies themselves to take advantage of these
favourable
640.
The Inquiry
has seen no indications that Mr Straw and Ms Hewitt received a
reply,
or that
Mr Blair saw their letter.
641.
On 23 May,
TPUK and the US Embassy London held a joint seminar on
US-funded
reconstruction
contracts for Iraq.378
The event
was attended by representatives of 250
companies
“located in Britain”.
642.
On 29 May, the
UK Deputy to Ambassador Ole Olsen, the Danish Head of
ORHA
(South),
reported to Baroness Symons’ Private Secretary that some
ORHA(South)
secondees
were, in addition to their ORHA work, “scouting around” for
commercial
opportunities
for their parent companies.379
The UK
Deputy commented that UK
secondees
should be doing the same.
643.
Baroness
Symons’ Private Secretary passed the record of the conversation
to
Mr Henderson,
and advised that Baroness Symons was keen to “make the most” of
this
opportunity
and would welcome advice on “how best this might be
done”.
644.
Mr Allan
responded later that day, advising that the BTI official seconded
to ORHA
in March
(and now based in Baghdad) was already “playing the sort of role”
proposed
377
Letter
Straw and Hewitt to Blair, 22 May 2003, ‘Iraq: Commercial
Opportunities and UK Companies’.
378
Trade
Partners UK, Press Release, 23 May 2003, Meeting
on redevelopment of Iraq sponsored by
Trade Partners
UK and the US Embassy.
379
Email UK
[junior official] to Henderson, 30 May 2003, ‘Basra Commercial
Opportunities’.
470