HC Deb 27 February 2002 vol 380 cc1312-3W
Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) embassies, (b) high commissions, (c) consulates and (d) trade and investment offices his Department has in (i) the Federated States of Micronesia, (ii) the Solomon Islands, (iii) the Marshall Islands, (iv) Nauru, (v) Kiribati, (vi) Tuvalu, (vii) Vanuatu, (viii) Fiji, (ix) Tonga, (x) Palau and (xi) Samoa; what the staff numbers are for each; and if he will make a statement. [37296]

Mr. MacShane

The UK has High Commission offices in Fiji, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, and also in Papua New Guinea. The number of staff (including both UK-based and locally engaged staff) in each is as follows.

Fiji 18
Kiribati 1
Papua New Guinea 12
Solomon Islands 6
Tonga 4
Vanuatu 91
1 Three part-time.

The Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu are covered by our High Commission in Fiji, and Samoa by our High Commission in Wellington.

We value our links with the island states of the South Pacific and are committed to working with them, particularly where we have resident representation, towards enhanced economic sustainability and governance, and stronger civil society. Our opening of a High Commission office in Kiribati in January has strengthened our ability to do this.