HC Deb 29 April 1976 vol 910 cc158-9W
Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many East German, Yugosla[...]s, Rumanians, Hungarians, Czechoslovakians, Poles and Bulgarians, respectively, with diplomatic immunity are at present residing within (a)the Greater London area and (b)the London Borough of Camden as at 1st March 1976; and how many East Germans without diplomatic immunity are residing within (c)the Greater London Area and (d)the London Borough of Camden on 1st March 1976 or at the latest dates for which information is available.

Mr. Hattersley

Embassy staff with diplomatic immunity resident in the:

Greater London Area London Borough of Camden
East Germany 14 (17) Nil (Nil)
Yugoslavia 12 (28) Nil (Nil)
Romania 15 (31) Nil (Nil)
Hungary 12 (24) Nil (Nil)
Czechoslovakia 14 (45)* 4 (13)*
Poland 25 (27) (7)† 18 (13) (5)†
Bulgaria 14 (24)* Nil (Nil)

The figures in brackets are members of the administrative and technical and service staff of the missions concerned, who, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, are entitled to immunity which is more limited than that accorded to full diplomats. The figures are accurate as at 20th April 1976.

*Administrative and technical staff who enjoy full diplomatic immunity by virtue of certain reciprocal arrangements as provided for in section 7(1) of the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964.

† Consular staff who enjoy certain immunity under a bilaterial Consular Convention.

East Germans without diplomatic immunity resident in:
Greater London Area London Borough of Camden
25 Nil

Mr. Trotter

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many citizens of each of the member States of the Warsaw Pact enjoy diplomatic privilege in Great Britain; and what ace the comparable figures for British citizens in each of the countries concerned.

Mr. Hattersley

Figures as at 26th April 1976 for Warsaw Pact citizens who enjoy some form of diplomatic privilege and/or immunity in the United Kingdom under the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 are as follows:

Diplomatic Staff (full privileges and immunities) Administrative and Technical and Service Staff (Restricted privileges and immunities)
Soviet Union 45 46(a)
East Germany 15 17
Poland 24 29(b)(c)
Hungary 12 24
Czechoslovakia 14 45(a)
Romania 16 31
Bulgaria 14 24(a)(b)

  1. (a) Staff who enjoy full diplomatic immunity by virtue of certain reciprocal arrangements provided for in section 7(1) of the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964.
  2. (b) Administrative and technical staff enjoy full diplomatic privileges, as provided for under (a) above.
  3. (c) There are in addition 20 Polish consular staff who enjoy certain privileges and immunities under a bilateral consular convention.

Comparable figures as at 26th April 1976 for personnel serving at British embassies in the following countries are as follows:

Diplomatic Staff (full privileges and immunities) Administrative and Technical and Service Staff (Restricted privileges and immunities)
Soviet Union 40 38
East Germany 12 16
Poland 27 24
Hungary 14 24
Czechoslovakia 15 19
Romania 16 9
Bulgaria 9 14