§ 18. Sir John Langford-Holtasked the Lord Privy Seal whether the claim of £225,000 against the Government of Iran for damage caused to the British Embassy in Tehran has yet been paid; and whether he will now give an undertaking that no payments will be made from public funds for repairs to the Iranian Embassy in London until payments for the British Embassy in Tehran have been made.
§ Mr. HurdThe Iranian authorities are fully aware of the liability of host Governments under international law to protect diplomatic premises on their territory. They acknowledged responsibility in respect of damage to the British Embassy in Tehran. There has been no suggestion that compensation would not be paid.
The police are urgently investigating all the circumstances surrounding the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London. We cannot assess the question of financial liability until we have the final results of their investigations. No claim for compensation has been presented by the Government of Iran.