Key information
Request reference number: MGLA030726-3138
Date of response:
Summary of request
Sir Sadiq Khan recently returned from a trip to Japan which I understand was to drum up business for London.
- I would like to know how many people accompanied Sir Sadiq on this trip and which businesses and organisations did they have conversations with?
- More importantly, how many business contracts and pledges to transact business with London has Sir Sadiq secured?
- Who are these organisations?
- I can never understand why the Mayor of London feels it necessary to undertake so many foreign trips and with so little to show for the time and cost expended. Surely bringing in foreign business and investments is the established role of the Lord Mayor of London - why duplicate the effort?
Our response
9 GLA staff accompanied the Mayor. The Mayor's visit to Singapore and Japan was undertaken as an official international engagement focused on promoting London as a destination for investment, trade and business growth. The mission was the first Mayoral visit to Singapore since 2014 and to Japan since 2015 and included a delegation of 28 London-based companies from the fintech, cyber and creative technology sectors.
Further information on the trade mission, including a summary of engagements undertaken, is available:
- Mayor's press release: Mayor leads trade mission to Singapore and Japan to drive trade, investment and cultural links | London City Hall
- Mayor's June report to the London Assembly: Mayor's reports to the Assembly | London City Hall
There were 28 delegate companies on the trip across both markets – 14 companies in Singapore and 14 companies in Japan. These have been published here:
The roles of the Mayor of London and Lord/Lady Mayor of London are compared on the City of London website because their roles are often confused: The Lady Mayor/Lord Mayor and the Mayor of London - City of London. You can also find out further information of the remit of the Lord/Lady Mayor of London on the City of London website.
We have also published information regarding the role and responsibilities of the Mayor on our GLA website: The role of the Mayor of London | London City Hall