To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the claim made by Mr Craig Murray in his speech to Chatham House on 8 November, that a UK company had its share in a joint enterprise with an Uzbek state entity reduced in a court case of which it had not been informed.

We believe the hon. Member's question refers to the case of a British company which established a joint venture company in 1993 with Uzbek partners.

In October 2002 a dispute over the share of the assets was brought before an Uzbek court. Our understanding is that the court reduced the British partner's share to 40 per cent. and increased the Uzbek side's holding to 60 per cent.. According to the British partner, no consideration was given to the clause in the joint venture which stated that disputes should be settled by arbitration. The British company was advised it could protest formally to the Prosecutor's Office which it did at the end of October 2002. It has received no reply.

We have followed this case with concern. In September 2004 the Co-Chairman of the Uzbek-British Trade and Industry Council brought it to the attention of Deputy Prime Minister Ganiev.