HC Deb 14 June 1994 vol 244 c402W
Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual cost of British embassies and consulates in(a) the United States and (b) the world.

Mr. Goodlad

The annual cost of British embassies and consulates in 1992–93, the latest financial year for which final expenditure figures are available, was:

  1. (a) the United States £33 million.
  2. (b) the world £365 million.

Mr. McAllion

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement of the role played by British embassies and consulates in protecting the rights of British citizens when travelling abroad.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The functions which consular officers may perform are set out in article 5 of the Vienna convention on consular relations and the corresponding provisions of the bilateral consular conventions.

The role of consular officers varies according to the circumstances of individual cases. Each year consular staff overseas deal with over 2 million inquiries from British citizens.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are made to respond to urgent facsimile or other messages concerning immigration cases that are sent by his staff to British embassies during public holidays.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

All British diplomatic missions overseas designate a duty officer to attend to urgent matters which arise outside normal working hours.