 Jack Straw says foreign firms are creating jobs for Britons |
The government is concerned for Britons whose jobs have been outsourced but believes changing investment patterns may benefit the UK, Jack Straw says. The foreign secretary was speaking on an official state visit to the southern Indian city of Bangalore, home to many call centres used by British firms.
Mr Straw said the government took seriously the knock-on effect of global investment, such as UK job losses.
But he said investments by overseas firms in Britain had also created jobs.
Five thousand positions had been created in the UK's financial sector in 2002 alone, he said.
India itself is already the eighth largest investor in the UK
Mr Straw said thousands of Bangalore locals had jobs processing British mortgages, bank transactions and insurance claims, or answering British telephone directory inquiries.
It has also been announced that part of the rail inquiry phone service is to move to Bangalore and Bombay (Mumbai).
Speaking against protectionism, the foreign secretary said he hoped India would open up more to UK firms in various fields including banking and legal services, and Scotch whiskey.
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