HC Deb 13 July 2001 vol 371 cc678-80W
Mrs. Humble

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom that owed more than £10,000 at 4 April in respect of national non-domestic rates for office premises. [4525]

Mr. Straw

Most diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom meet their obligations and pay the national non-domestic rates requested from them. However, as at 4 April 2001 the following missions owed over £10,000 in respect of national non-domestic rates (NNDR):

Country £
Nigeria 339,925.44
Iran 105,827.16
Sierra Leone 66,246.88
Yugoslavia 46,638.87
Algeria 39,844.82
Ivory Coast 33,303.54
Mozambique 30,564.99
Jordan 29,048.13
Country £
Cameroon 24,583.30
Egypt 23,925.02
Uganda 21,985.39
Libya 21,358.92
Bangladesh 16,131.99
Democratic Republic of Congo 15,765.48
Senegal 12,253.02
Total 827,402.95

Eight additional diplomatic missions who owe £10,000 more in respect of national non-domestic rates have made arrangements with the Valuation Office Agency to clear their outstanding debts and have not been included in this list. The total amount outstanding from all missions, including these additional diplomatic missions, is approximately £1,480,218.62.

Mrs. Humble

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many outstanding parking and other minor traffic violation fines were incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in the United Kingdom during the year ending 31 December 2000. [4526]

Mr. Straw

At the end of 2000, unpaid fines in respect of parking and other minor traffic violations incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in the United Kingdom totalled 5,889. In May this year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office wrote to all diplomatic missions and international organisations in the United Kingdom giving them the opportunity to either pay their outstanding fines or appeal against them if they considered that they had been issued incorrectly. As a result payments totalling £81,120.00 were received, leaving a total of 3,936 unpaid fines for 2000. The table details those diplomatic missions and international organisations that have more than 10 fines outstanding.

Unpaid parking and minor traffic violation fines—2000—diplomatic vehicles
Position/diplomatic mission/international organization Number of fines outstanding
1. Nigeria 1,084
2. United Arab Emirates 272
3. Egypt 148
4. Qatar 145
5. Iran 114
6. Ghana 104
7. Turkey 96
8. Saudi Arabia 82
9. Ethiopia 74
10. France 69
10. Oman 69
10. Ukraine 69
11. Greece 68
12. Algeria 59
13. China 57
14. Cyprus 55
14. Jordan 55
14. Mongolia 55
14. Morocco 55
15. Hungary 48
15. Malaysia 48
16. Mozambique 47
17. Georgia 45
18. Russia 44
18. United States of America 44
19. Poland 41
Unpaid parking and minor traffic violation fines—2000–diplomatic vehicles
Position/diplomatic mission/international organisation Number of fines outstanding
20. Kenya 40
21. Cuba 38
22. Kazakhstan 34
23. Tunisia 33
24. Brunei 32
25. Uganda 29
26. Indonesia 26
26. Zambia 26
26. Zimbabwe 26
27. Romania 25
28. Albania 24
28. Yemen 24
29. Pakistan 23
29. Commonwealth Secretariat 23
30. Bangladesh 22
30. Philippines 22
31. Afghanistan 21
31. Namibia 21
32. Lithuania 18
33. Cote D'Ivoire 16
34. Peru 15
34. Sudan 15
35. Cameroon 14
35. Italy 14
36. Portugal 13
36. Uzbekistan 13
37. Bahrain 12
37. Germany 12
3,678

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