Lords Middle East inquiry to look at trade and energy
The House of Lords International Relations Committee will this week hear from Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Chairman of the British-Iranian Chamber of Commerce and experts in energy economics as its inquiry on the future of the Middle East turns to the UK's economic links with the region.
The evidence sessions will start at 10:30am on Wednesday 1 February in Committee Room 4 of the House of Lords. Giving evidence to the Committee will be:
10:30am
- Dr Carole Nakhle, Energy Economist
- Mr Stewart Williams, Vice President – Middle East Research, Wood Mackenzie
11:30am
- Rt. Hon Lord Lamont of Lerwick, UK Trade Envoy to Iran
In the first session questions will focus on the impact of instability in the Middle East on the oil market, the impact of the control of oil production on the long-term prospects for stability in Iraq and the effect of increasing demand for oil by the Asia-Pacific countries on the Middle East including the prospect of China increasing its influence in the region.
In the session with Lord Lamont questions will cover whether the Iran nuclear deal is being undermined because the economic benefits to the country are not being felt by its citizens, whether sufficient resources are in place to ensure Iran is abiding by its part of the agreement and if concerns in some Gulf states that the West had become too obliging to Iran are justified.
