The House of Commons Select Committee is looking to gather public opinion about UK’s relationship with India as the next chapter in its Global Britain inquiry. The purpose of this inquiry, which forms the next chapter of the Committee’s work on Global Britain, is to take stock of the UK’s relationship with India, and to examine the relationship as an important test case of the Global Britain strategy. The inquiry will also be an opportunity to consider a number of cross-cutting issues, such as the relationship between trade and broader strategic relationships, and the implications of the UK’s visa policy in a foreign policy context.
While much of the discussion of relations with India in the context of Global Britain has tended to emphasise trade, the Committee is interested in exploring the full range of issues affecting the relationship between the UK and India, including regional security and counter-terrorism, technology and innovation, and the role of multilateral institutions.
The issues that the Committee is welcoming to have comment on includes the following topics with a deadline of 3 September 2018. They are asking an individual or organisation's comment UK-India relationship on basis of foreign policy, soft-power, balance between political, strategic and trade issues, how the values differ between two countries, visa regime etc.
Other issues include which areas can the UK and India work effectively towards shared objectives within multilateral settings, such as in the UN and the G20? And where do their objectives, values and interests differ significantly? They are also asking how should relations between the UK and India be managed in the run-up to and after Brexit and are the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other parts of Government preparing effectively?
The Chair of the Committee, Tom Tugendhat MP, said, "India is half of the Commonwealth and a fifth of the world. Its importance as an economic power is growing. As a democratic partner it has never been more important. How we work with India will be key to our place in the world in coming decades. The Committee will be looking at our relationship and considering the opportunities for greater cooperation."
In evidence to the earlier part of the inquiry, the FCO said, “the UK’s enduring relationship with India is… central to our aspirations. India is an economic powerhouse, with a growing role in Asian and international geopolitics. A shared past and strong people-to-people links give us influence and access, helping us to tackle security threats, encourage stability, and exploit prosperity opportunities.”
To submit your opinion follow this link: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/foreign-affairs-committee/inquiries1/parliament-2017/inquiry12/commons-written-submission-form/
