HC Deb 09 January 2001 vol 360 cc499-504W
Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were reported(a) missing, (b) murdered, (c) kidnapped or taken hostage and (d) imprisoned abroad in each year since 1996; and if he will list the countries concerned. [142490]

Mr. Hain

The information is in the tables.

Number of Britons reported missing abroad
Year Number
1996 744
1997 676
1998 672
1999 198
2000 202

Countries concerned:

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Andorra
  • Angola
  • Antigua
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Azerbijan
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bali
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Burma
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Canada
  • Cayman
  • Chile
  • China
  • CIS
  • Colombia
  • Congo
  • Costa
  • Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cuba
  • Cyprus
  • Czech
  • Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominician Republic
    • 500W
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Eritrea
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Gambia
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Gutemala
  • Guinea
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Korea
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Libya
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Mongolia
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Nicaragua
  • Nigeria
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Panama
    • 501W
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra
  • Leone
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • St. Kitts
  • Sudan
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Syria
  • Taiwan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • USA
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Yugoslavia
  • Zaire
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe.

Number of Britons reported killed abroad
Year Number
1996 56
1997 48
1998 43
1999 48
2000 44

Countries concerned:

  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Colombia
  • Indonesia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • New Zealand
  • Panama
  • Russia
  • Somalia
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • Yemen
  • Angola
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • CIS
  • India
  • Italy
  • Kenya
  • Nepal
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • USA
  • Vietnam
  • Botswana
  • Congo
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Egypt
  • France
  • Gibraltar
  • Greece
  • Guyana
  • Honduras
  • Jamaica
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Netherlands
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Sweden
  • Antigua
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Comoros
  • Czech Republic
  • Guatemala
  • Israel
    • 503W
  • Kuwait
  • Mexico
  • Pakistan
  • Portugal
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi
  • Arabia
  • Togo.

Number of Britons reported kidnapped abroad
Year Number
1996 14
1997 10
1998 27
1999 35
2000 22

Countries concerned:

  • Angola
  • Cambodia
  • CIS
  • Indonesia
  • Somalia
  • Yemen
  • Spain
  • Ecuador
  • Guinea
  • Turkey
  • Gibraltar
  • Nigeria
  • Bosnia
  • Czech Republic
  • Uganda
  • Cyprus
  • Pakistan
  • Georgia
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Egypt
  • Liberia
  • Peru
  • USA
  • Sierra Leone
  • Bangladesh
  • DRC
  • Australia
  • Fiji.

Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the procedure for intervention by Her Majesty's Government in cases where a British national is(a) reported missing and (b) suspected to have died overseas. [142491]

Mr. Hain

We do all that we properly can to trace British nationals who have been reported missing or are suspected to have died overseas. It would not be possible for British consular staff to physically conduct searches so we approach relatives, local authorities, the police and any other agency which might help in the search.

Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in how many cases since 1996 the Government have intervened in cases where British citizens were reported(a) missing and (b) killed in countries overseas; which countries were concerned; and what were the results of the interventions. [142501]

Mr. Hain

We seek to be as helpful as possible within legal and resource constraints in every case where a British citizen is reported missing or killed overseas. 2,492 British citizens have been reported missing and 239 killed overseas since 1996. Information on the countries concerned is contained in my answer to my hon. Friend's earlier question. The information requested on our interventions and results of our interventions in these cases could be provided only at disproportionate cost.