HC Deb 26 February 2003 vol 400 cc584-5W
John McDonnell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases the British Government have dealt with involving British nationals abroad since 1997 who have(a) disappeared,(b) been murdered or suspected of being murdered,(c) been kidnapped or held hostage and (d) been incarcerated, broken down by country. [98458]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) Data on cases of British nationals who have disappeared abroad since 1997, broken down by country, cannot be easily obtained and the cost of doing so would be disproportionate.
  2. (b) In respect of British nationals murdered overseas, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office (Mr. Bradshaw) to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Fallon) on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 318W. This sets out the number of murders by country from 1996 to 2001.

British nationals kidnapped or held hostage overseas between 1997–2003
Country 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Total
Angola 1 1
Bangladesh 1 1
Cambodia 1 1
Chechnya 2 3 3
China 1 1
Colombia 2 1 1 4
Cyprus 1 1
Czech republic 2 2
Democratic Republic of Congo 1 1 2
Ecuador 1 1
Ethiopia 1 1
Gaza (Occupied Territories) 1 1
Georgia 1 1 1 3
Greece 1 1
Indonesia 1 1
Liberia 4 4
Nigeria 4 4 18 15 6 43
Philippines — 2 2
Russia 3 3
Sierra Leone 3 13 16
Slovenia 1 1
Somalia 1 1 3 4
South Africa 1 1
Sudan 1 1
Tajikistan 1 1
Turkey 4 4
Uganda 6 6
Yemen 2 15 4 1 20
Totals 11 28 41 32 20 6 1 141