HC Deb 06 March 1967 vol 742 cc190-4W
48. Sir J. Langford-Holt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the total number of persons

PERSONS ENTITLED TO VARYING DEGREES OF DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITY IN DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN LONDON
March, 1945 March, 1967
Mission Entitled staff Total including wives Entitled staff Total including wives
Afghanistan 7 7 4 6
Argentine 31 37 25 43
Belgium 30 42 43 78
Bolivia 4 6 6 10
Brazil 28 33 43 59
Bulgaria (see below)
Chile 26 31 13 22
China 51 65 78 87
Colombia 7 8 5 9
Cuba 6 8 9 16
Czechoslovakia 27 37 76 132
Denmark 27 36 48 69
Dominican Republic 3 3 6 10
Ecuador 2 3 4 8
Egypt (in 1967 U.A.R. Interests Section) 21 21 52 75
Ethiopia 3 3 6 9
Finland (see below)
France 27 44 181 257
Germany (see below)
Greece 25 31 25 37
Guatemala 2 3 (Diplomatic relations broken)
Hungary (see below)
Iceland 6 7 4 6
Iran 19 26 36 58
Iraq 13 14 43 57
Italy (see below)
Japan (see below)
Lebanon 8 10 5 7
Liberia 5 5 8 12
Luxembourg 1 2 2 4
Mexico 10 12 13 16
Nepal 25 25 6 8
Netherlands 23 27 98 147
Nicaragua 1 1 2 3
Norway 25 32 43 59
Panama 2 3 5 7
Paraguay 2 3 5 7
Peru 7 11 11 19
Poland 48 61 57 95
Portugal 10 13 24 36
Rumania (see below)
Saudi Arabia 8 8 15 23
Siam (see below)
Soviet Union 163 208 134 232
Spain 41 52 66 91
Sweden 47 57 34 53
Switzerland 39 51 49 68
Syria 6 6 15 22
Thailand (see below)
Turkey 35 45 34 60
U.S.A. 359 375 303 465
Uruguay 3 6 6 9
Venezuela 3 3 28 41
Yugoslavia 33 41 32 50
1,275 1,530 1,704 2,586

enjoying diplomatic immunity in 1945 in each mission; and what are the numbers today enjoying such privileges in the same or equivalent missions.

Mr. William Rodgers

Following are the details:

March, 1945 March, 1967
Mission Entitled staff Total including wives Entitled staff Total including wives
Bulgaria … * 47 60 30 51
Germany … 139 199
Italy … 87 123
Japan … 49 87
Siam (now Thailand) … 36 60
Finland … † 10 10 23 33
Hungary … 33 55
Rumania … 47 84
1,332 1,610 2,148 3,278
* Interests safeguarded by Swiss Embassy in 1945.
† Interests safeguarded by Swedish Embassy in 1945.

Note:

The figures are not strictly comparable. In 1945 all staff, including servants employed in Chanceries and Residences (even if British Subjects) enjoyed full imunity from jurisdiction. Under the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964, full immunity is limited to diplomatic staff, administrative staffs and service staffs receive a lower degree of immunity; and British subjects and private servants have no entitlement at all to immunity. Countries which have attained independence since 1945 are not, of course, included in this list.

49. Sir J. Langford-Holt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what immunities are given to heads of foreign diplomatic missions and their staffs; whether he will give a list of those persons who enjoy such immunities from taxation and legal proceedings; and what is the total number in each year since 1946.

Mr. William Rodgers

I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of an explanatory memorandum on Her Majesty's Government's practice as regards immunities and privileges. Broadly speaking diplomatic agents have full immunity, administrative and technical staff have full immunity, except in relation to private civil matters, and service staff immunity only in respect of official acts.

I have placed lists of entitled persons in the Library of the House.

Totals of entitled diplomatic staff, including staff of Commonwealth Missions, have been given to hon. Members as:

1953 … … … … 3,945
1955 … … … … 4,034
1957 … … … … 4,260
1958 … … … … 4,349
1959 … … … … 4,284
1960 … … … … 4,256
1961 … … … … 4,514
1962 … … … … 4,689
1963 … … … … 4,748
1965 … … … … 4,566
1966 … … … … 4,482
Further figures are not readily available, and those before 1952 would not provide a comparison because until 1952, there was no legal basis for the grant of immunities to members of Commonwealth Missions and no lists of such members were complied. The 1950 total for staff of foreign diplomatic Missions was 1,704.