HC Deb 11 February 2002 vol 380 cc41-2W
Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) in how many countries the United Kingdom was represented by(a) a resident (i) high commissioner and (ii) ambassador, (b) a non-resident (i) high commissioner and (ii) ambassador and (c) a consul in each year since 1997, indicating where that representation changed in that time; [35198]

(2) how many high commissions, embassies and consulates have been (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 1997. [35197]

Mr. Bradshaw

The information requested is available in the departmental reports for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. The following posts have changed their category during this period:

1997–98

  • Banja Luka
    • Opened as an embassy mission
  • Barranquilla Post
    • Closed locally engaged staff only (LE)
  • Zurich
    • Closed UK based staffed post
  • Hong Kong
    • Dependent territory which became a consulate general on hand over to China

1998–99

  • Kuching
    • Closed UK based post
  • Chiang Mai
    • Closed UK based post
  • Lome
    • Opened as LE only post

1999–2000

  • Calgary
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Chongqing
    • Opened as consulate general
  • Bangalore
    • Changed from LE only to trade office
  • Fukuoka
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Nagoya
    • Changed from LE only to trade office
  • Gothenburg
    • Opened as consulate general
  • Cleveland
    • Closed UK based post
  • Seville
    • Closed LE post

2000–01

  • Conakry
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Port-au-Prince
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Ahmedabad
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Bhopal
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Goa
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Hyderabad
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Puna
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Dili
    • Opened as an embassy mission
  • Tripoli
    • Reopened as an embassy
  • Bamako
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Monterrey
    • Changed from LE only to trade office
  • Denver
    • Opened as a consulate
  • Pristina Mission
    • Opened as UK representation to the UN

2001–02

  • Bamako
    • Changed from LE only to embassy
  • Lahore
    • Changed from LE only to trade office
  • Pyongyang
    • Opened as an embassy
  • Tarawa
    • Opened as LE only post
  • Kabul
    • Opened as an embassy.

We have plans to open embassies in Bishkek, Chisinau and Dushanbe before the end of the financial year.

Forward to