§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will list the number of diplomats, the number of members of families of diplomats and the number of other persons with diplomatic immunity in each diplomatic commission currently represented in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. HurdThe number of diplomats and administrative and technical staff of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom is set out in the following list. It would involve a disproportionate effort to count the individual members of the families of the persons listed. It is estimated that their total number is approximately 16,000.
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Embassies/High Commissions Represented in the United Kingdom Diplomatic Administrative and Technical Afghanistan, Republic of 2 — Algeria 13 — Argentina, Republic of 21 22 Australia 54 86 Austria 13 19 Bahamas, Commonwealth of the 1 — Bahrain, State of 6 — Bangladesh, People's Republic of 16 35 Barbados 12 1 Belgium 12 32 Benin, Republic of (Non-Resident) 6 — Bolivia 10 — Botswana 5 1 Brazil 34 107 Bulgaria, People's Republic of 21 28 Burma, Socialist Republic of the Union of 7 14 Burundi, Republic of (Non-Resident) 4 — Cameroon, United Republic of 17 8 Canada 57 62 Central African Republic (Non-Resident) 2 — Chad, Republic of (Non-Resident) 2 2 Chile 14 13 China, People's Republic of 56 21 Colombia 13 6 Congo, People's Republic of (Non-Resident) 12 — Costa Rica 4 — Cuba, Republic of 12 6 Cyprus 24 8 Czechoslovakia, Socialist Republic of 16 50 Denmark 20 18 Djibouti, Republic of (Non-Resident) 2 — Dominica, Commonwealth of 2 — Dominican Republic 8 3 Ecuador 6 1 Egypt, Arab Republic of 72 49 El Salvador 2 4 Equatorial Guinea, Republic of (Non-Resident) 1 — Ethiopia, Provisional Military Government of Socialist 9 — Fiji 5 — Finland 17 23 France 48 179 Gabon, Republic of 4 — Gambia, The 6 1 284W
Diplomatic Administrative and Technical Germany, Federal Republic of 50 86 German, Democratic Republic 17 22 Ghana 43 17 Greece 21 26 Granada 3 — Guinea, Republic of (Non-Resident) 8 — Guyana 14 — Haiti, Republic of 1 3 Honduras 4 — Hungary, People's Republic of 14 20 Iceland 3 2 India 71 282 Indonesia 17 12 Iran, Islamic Republic of 9 12 Iraq, Republic of 37 67 Ireland, Republic of 15 48 Israel 30 24 Italy 21 70 Ivory Coast 8 6 Jamaica 25 5 Japan 50 3 Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of 22 43 Kenya 25 — Korea, Republic of 19 1 Kuwait, State of 14 — Laos, People's Democratic Republic of 2 1 Lebanon 5 3 Lesotho, Kingdom of 3 2 Liberia, Republic of 6 1 Libya, People's Bureau of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 25 23 Luxembourg 2 — Madagascar, Republic of (Non-Resident) 2 — Malawi, Republic of 9 — Malaysia 41 26 Mali, Republic of (Non-Resident) 2 1 Malta 8 2 Mauritania, Islamic Republic of (Non-Resident) 6 — Mauritius 9 6 Mexico 30 11 Mongolia, People's Republic of 3 1 Morocco, Kingdom of 12 15 Nepal 4 2 Netherlands, The 19 58 New Zealand 25 16 Nicaragua 4 — Niger, Republic of (Non-Resident) 3 — Nigeria, Federal Republic of 107 — Norway 19 24 Oman, Sultanate of 12 — Pakistan 32 60 Panama, Republic of 13 — Papua New Guinea 5 1 Paraguay 5 — Peru 15 20 Philippines 13 15 Poland, People's Republic of 27 34 Portugal 14 39 Qatar, State of 7 — Romania, Socialist Republic of 11 22 Rwanda, Republic of (Non-Resident) 3 — Saint Lucia 3 — Saint Vincent and the Granadines 1 — Saudi Arabia 48 5 Senegal, Republic of 6 3 Sierra Leone 17 — Singapore, Republic of 5 4 Solomon Islands (Non-Resident) 1 — Somali Democratic Republic 5 — South Africa, Republic of 26 15
Diplomatic Administrative and Technical Soviet Union 48 46 Spain 28 117 Sri Lanka 12 15 Sudan Democratic Republic of 38 — Swaziland, Kingdom of 5 1 Sweden 23 12 Switzerland 14 27 Syrian Arab Republic 20 3 Tanzania, United Republic of 13 — Thailand 29 16 Togo 4 1 Tonga 4 — Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of 16 3 Tunisia 6 — Turkey 38 13 Uganda 13 1 United Arab Emirates 11 — United States 122 224 Upper Volta (Non-Resident) 7 — Uruguay 7 1 Vanuatu (Non-Resident) 1 — Venezuela 21 20 Vietnam, Socialist Republic of 6 5 Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of 7 1 Yemen Arab Republic 12 1 Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of 13 24 Zaire, Republic of 14 3 Zambia, Republic of 14 — Zimbabwe, Republic of 11 — Commonwealth Secretariat 58 306 Total 2,439 2,798
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make representations to those Governments who have ratified the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations but who either are known to have, or are suspected of having, abused the spirit or letter of the convention; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdOur practice is to make representaions and, if necessary, to take the other action available to us under international law, when we consider there has been infringement of the provisions of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and of the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will initiate talks with Foreign Ministers of those countries who have acceded to the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, with a view to reconvening the United Nations conference on diplomatic intercourse and immunities to discuss amendments to the aforesaid convention which would tighten the loopholes and abuses of diplomatic immunity.
§ Mr. HurdAs I explained in my reply in the Adjournment debate on 2 June 1980—Vol. 985, c. 1218—the Vienna convention is a relatively modern and well-thought out international law. Problems arise not from the provisions of the convention but from its imperfect observance.
A number of countries have proposed that the convention should be amended, but they want to widen rather than restrict the immunities which the convention provides. These matters are being considered by the International Law Commission.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal what types of firearms, explosives and kindred devices have 285W been found on inspection of diplomatic bags, premises occupied by diplomats or those claiming diplomatic immunity in each of the last five years; and what nationality was claimed in each instance.
§ Mr. HurdDiplomatic bags may not be opened or detained and diplomatic premises and persons are inviolable. The inspections referred to by the hon. and learned Member have not, therefore, taken place. But diplomatic missions in London are fully aware of our laws governing the importation and carrying of firearms or explosives and equally aware of the very serious view which Her Majesty's Government would take of any disregard of these regulations.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will now introduce proposals to enable electronic surveillance of diplomatic baggage to be carried out.
§ Mr. HurdNo. I am advised that electronic surveillance would not necessarily reveal a misuse of the diplomatic bag. Were we to learn of abuse of diplomatic bags in any way, we would not hesitate to take the necessary action.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to diplomatic missions accredited to the Court of St. James concerning their use and abuse of diplomatic privilege during each of the last five years for which records are available; to which missions representations were made; what was the nature of the abuse; and what was the response of each of the countries concerned.
§ Mr. HurdThe details requested form part of confidential exchanges with diplomatic missions. Such matters are firmly dealt with.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal on how many occasions the Government have requested diplomats or those claiming diplomatic immunity to leave the United Kingdom during each of the last five years; what were the alleged offences on each occasion; and which countries' nationals were involved.
§ Mr. HurdDetails of exchanges with missions about allegations of criminal offences by members of their staffs entitled to diplomatic immunity are confidential. These matters are firmly dealt with and such personnel are in many cases withdrawn without our having to make any formal request. During the period in question there have been no occasions of a diplomat being formally declared persona non grata in respect of an alleged criminal offence. However, 11 diplomats were asked to leave the country for political reasons.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will publish a list of all the institutions and organisations to which the United Kingdom accords privileges and immunities.
§ Mr. HurdThe diplomatic missions and those international organisations in the United Kingdom to which privileges and immunities are granted in accordance with international agreements are shown in theLondon Diplomatic List.
In addition, the United Kingdom is party to agreements with a number of other international organisations which are not based in this country. With the approval of 286W Parliament, their officials and the representatives of the member States are accorded certain privileges and immunities when on official business in this country.