§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many individuals resident in the United Kingdom are now protected by diplomatic immunity; to what missions they are accredited; how many and what percentages are diplomats, families and staff, respectively; and how these numbers compare with the numbers of persons with diplomatic immunity in the years 1964, 1969, 1974 and 1979, respectively.
§ Mr. WhitneyI am arranging for details of individuals resident in the United Kingdom who have or have had diplomatic immunity in their own right for 1974, 1979 and 1984 to be placed in the Library. A few of these are permanent residents and as such enjoy immunity only in respect of their official acts.
It would involve disproportionate cost to count the members of the households of these individuals; and to provide the figures for the years 1964 and 1969.
234W
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what communications he has made during the past 12 months to the diplomatic missions of Arab states concerning offences committed by members of their staff;
(2) whether he will list the diplomatic missions to which he has written during the past 12 months to draw their attention to offences committed by members of their staff; and how many such communications were sent to each such mission during the period concerned, and in respect of what offences.
§ Mr. WhitneyIt is not our practice to reveal details of our exchanges with individual missions on matters of this kind.
We send about four communications each week to diplomatic missions about offences committed by members of their staff, most of these concern motoring offences. Unfortunately in the time available it has not been possible to compile a list in the form requested. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available.