New Delhi: Britain today (Feb 6, 2004) assured India that it would not go the US way on Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and there was no move on part of the Government to ban it despite domestic pressures.

This was indicated by visiting British Foreign Minister Jack Straw during a meeting with Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley.

On the bilateral front, Straw pointed out at the high tariffs prevalent in India and sought reduction in its levels on alcoholic beverages including Scotch whiskey.

Jaitley apprised him of the new tariff structure, which was being implemented, resulting in tariff reduction in a phased manner, official sources said in New Delhi.

Straw also the raised the issue of landing rights for flights, even as he offered some additional lines at Gatwick airport.

On the multilateral front, Jaitley said, "Our greatest concern is in agriculture where if one tariff line is reduced lives of several millions will be affected."

Terming the draft document presented at the World Trade Organisation's (WTO's) Cancun Ministerial as "lopsided", Jaitley said India's defensive interest in this sector has to be accommodated if the multilateral talks are to be carried forward.

On services sector, he said India was opening up, even as Straw sought market access in legal services.