Supplementary memorandum from the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office
FCO ANNUAL REPORT
EVIDENCE SESSION
1. When Michael Jay gave evidence to the
Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday 16 July, he said that he
would write to the Committee about various issues which arose
during the session.
The inclusion of Lima and Colombo in the list
of Top 20 Posts by Spend in Financial Year 2001-2002
3. There is considerable stability in the
rankings of spending at our largest Posts. The 12 largest spending
Posts in 2001-02 were similarly ranked in 1999-00, with only minor
variations (see enclosed table)[17].
4. There is a large group of medium expenditure
Posts below the top 12 where spending differentials are compressed.
Small differences in activity levels (eg Seoul's preparation for
the World Cup), local inflation rates, and exchange rate movements
can therefore have a significant effect on a Post's ranking, as,
for example, with Lagos and Geneva in 2001-2.
5. A third group of Posts are affected by
large spending developments specific to them, often related to
the Estate. Spending in Dublin in 2000-01 was unusually high because
the FCO bought a new Residence as part of our asset recycling
programme. New offices were purchased in Caracas in 2000-01. A
new embassy building was purchased in Lima in 2001-02. And in
Colombo, a site was purchased in 2001-02 on which a new High Commission
building will be built. Without these exceptional items of significant
capital expenditure, neither Lima nor Colombo would have been
in the top 20.
Travel advice to backpackers
6. The FCO website contains travel advice
information for backpackers. This is enclosed and can be found
at http://www.fco.gov.uk. I also enclose information about the
Backpackers & Independent Travellers mini-campaign, launched
in November 2001[18].
This was part of our continuing "Know Before You Go"
information campaign. The aim of the campaign, which is now managed
by Biss Lancaster, is to ensure that travellers prepare themselves
better before they go overseas, for example by checking FCO travel
advice and taking out travel insurance.
7. The Backpackers mini-campaign was managed
by AEA Technology with help from partners in the travel industry
such as Rough Guides, STA, Tourism Concern, Bridge The World,
Year Out Group, USIT Campus and Gapyear.com. FCO officials took
part in a radio day to publicise the campaign, and survival expert
Ray Mears also gave interviews on behalf of the campaign.
8. We have also improved the travel area
of the FCO website by adding revised checklists for backpackers
and independent travellers. We have added checklists for women
travellers, updated pages on insurance and health, added information
on mobile phones and the Euro, increased the number of "Frequently
Asked Questions" and expanded the number of links to other
organisations, such as to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust which promotes
safe travel abroad for young people.
The e-Services page on the FCO website
9. The new FCO web platform was launched
on 16 May to replace the outdated technology of the FCO's award-winning
website. The new Internet infrastructure will allow multiple authors
across the FCO at home and overseas to launch and maintain different
websites using the same architecture and Content Management System.
So far we have launched the new UKVisas site, the FCO main site
and 19 kiosk websites. We are about to launch the new i-uk.com
portal site and, following training, the first 10 Posts' sites.
More sites will follow. This is an ambitious programme.
10. As with all major Internet projects,
there have been teething problems. These were due mainly to the
unreliability of the firewalls, which were replaced at the end
of last week. The e-Services top-level page of the website became
unavailable on 2 July. It was immediately logged as such with
the Logica support desk, although they could not immediately determine
the nature of the problem. On 12 July, they discovered the bug
and the e-Services page was restored after 10 days. The absence
of the page could have been confusing but did not prevent us from
offering any of our normal services. The rest of the site was
working well. The e-Services area is principally there in preparation
for future services, such as online interactive application forms
and public fora.
How the FCO's forced marriage assistance figures
relate to the estimated overall figure of those affected, and
details of relevant research
11. Since the publication of the FCO Departmental
Report 2002, Consular Division's Community Liaison Unit has seen
an increase in its forced marriage caseload. We have dealt with
approximately 250 cases in the past year. This rise can be attributed
in part to an effective public diplomacy campaign, which has raised
awareness of the problem and of what the FCO can do to help. We
have distributed tens of thousands of our advice leaflets; made
available a video on marriage and freedom of choice for schools
and youth groups (endorsed by the Department for Education and
Skills); held national and regional conferences for police officers
and relevant interest groups; held a national conference for Social
Services (supported by the Department of Health and attended by
the Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality); and attended
and delivered regional presentations to communities (on average
we attend two such events per month) in, among other places, Edinburgh,
Wakefield, Manchester, Luton, Aylesbury, Southampton and Swansea.
12. But despite this increased awareness,
we are conscious that we deal with only a fraction of the total
number of cases. As with domestic violence and child abuse, the
nature of the problem of forced marriage makes it extremely difficult
to quantify; in many cases victims will never speak out. We know
that the police in West Yorkshire alone deal with around 200 cases
per year, and that NGOs working in this area deal with a similar
number (although many of these will already be accounted for in
our statistics). Some media reports have suggested that there
are over 1000 cases per year in the UK. We fear that the true
number may be even higher. In working with the police, social
services and other agencies, we have stressed the need to keep
statistics to enable us better to understand the extent of the
problem.
13. As well as working with relevant governmental
and non-governmental organisations, we have commissioned formal
research into the problem of forced marriage. Professors Yunas
Samad and John Eade of the Universities of Bradford and Roehampton
respectively have just submitted to us a paper which investigates
community perceptions of forced marriage. The research involved
focus groups composed of members of the Pakistani community in
Bradford and the Bangladeshi community in Tower Hamlets. The paper
provides evidence which backs up our experience, while also giving
us new insights. It will be on the FCO website by the end of the
Summer. We have also commissioned Interights, the Centre for the
International Legal Protection of Human Rights, to conduct research
into the law governing issues surrounding forced marriage in the
most affected countries. This, too, should be completed by the
end of the Summer. We have also done our own preliminary research
into the international aspects of recognition of marriage and
divorce, better to inform our case workers.
14. Other recent achievements include:
Completion of a one-year project
to compile best practice guidelines for police officers dealing
with cases of forced marriage. Over 300 organisations were consulted
in a series of regional events. The guidelines were launched in
May by Baroness Amos, Angela Eagle, Minister of State at the Home
Office, and Assistant Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe of the Association
of Chief Police Officers.
Launch of a one-year project to compile
best practice guidelines for social workers dealing with cases
of forced marriage.
Compilation of a case database to
allow us to maintain accurate statistics.
Development of working partnerships
with lawyers and NGOs at our most affected posts.
15. We are particularly proud of our work
on forced marriage. It is an example of the FCO responding to
the particular needs of ethnic minorities. Speaking at the launch
of our social services project, the Chair of the Commission for
Racial Equality, Gurbux Singh, praised us for tackling the issue
confidently yet sensitively. Some of our EU partners intend to
emulate our innovative and pro-active approach. We hope to improve
both European and cross-governmental co-operation in this field
in the coming year.
FCO liaison with the Home Office over visa cases
relating to applications for indefinite leave to remain in the
UK
16. The Home Office contacts Posts abroad
to obtain information in certain cases. Separately, the FCO's
Consular Division is involved with some visa cases involving forced
marriage, for example when we are contacted by victims of forced
marriage in the UK who do not wish their spouses to be granted
indefinite leave to remain. We refer such queries to the Immigration
and Nationality Directorate at the Home Office for advice.
FCO Corporate Sponsorship and VIP Suite Transport
17. The Committee asked about VIP Suite
transport. The contract with Lexus provides the FCO with five
cars (two saloons and three four-wheel drive vehicles). The fleet
at Heathrow consists of two of the saloons and two of the four-wheel
drives as well as a separately-supplied long-loan Vauxhall vehicle.
The fleet at Heathrow ferries VIPs between the VIP suites and
the planes on the tarmac on arrival and departure. The third four-wheel
drive vehicle is used at Gatwick and operates in a similar way
to the vehicles at Heathrow, but is also used on occasion to take
VIPs in transit and awaiting onward flights to local hotels. I
enclose more detailed information about this[19]
and the other corporate sponsorship agreements listed on page
144 of the Annual Report.
18. The FCO's corporate sponsorship guidance
to staff, most recently reviewed in April 2002, has at its core
the need for propriety. It is based on the Cabinet Office "Guidance
to Departments on Sponsorship of Government Activities",
last issued in July 2000. I enclose a copy of the FCO guidance.[20]
Financial regulation in Gibraltar
19. Financial regulation in Gibraltar is
recognised to be of a high standard. The Financial Action Task
Force and the International Monetary Fund carried out inspections
of Gibraltar's anti money laundering and general supervisory regimes
respectively, in 2001. The report on the FATF inspection has not
yet been published. We are pleased that the IMF report, published
on 19 March 2002, recognised the progress made by the Financial
Services Commission (FSC), which is appointed by the Governor,
in the regulation and supervision of Gibraltar's developing financial
services industry. The Government welcomed the FSC commitment
to take action on the recommendations and, where changes to legislation
are required, the Government of Gibraltar's acceptance of the
recommendations. We are confident that, with these commitments,
the Finance Centre is well placed to adapt to the changing international
environment and can continue to prosper.
20. We remain in contact with the Gibraltar
Government on the broader issue of economic statistics. Following
representations by the Foreign Secretary, Gibraltar recently published
its first abstract of statistics for five years.
Employment protection for expatriate local staff
21. The FCO's long-standing position is
that our Missions overseas employ their local staff on the basis
of the law of the country in which they operate. That is consistent
with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which requires
Missions to respect and comply with local law.
22. It is possible that a member, or ex-member,
of our local staff may assume that there is no point in bringing
a case in a local court or tribunal because our Mission would
automatically enjoy State immunity. That is not so, as FCO policy
is to waive immunity if it would prevent access to redress.
23. In the specific case to which Mr Illsley
referred, in St Petersburg, it may be that Russian law or practice
prevents the ex-member of local staff from obtaining a hearing
in local court.
24. UK employment tribunals have up to now
ruled that matters relating to the employment of our local staff
are outside their jurisdiction, because we recruit and employ
local staff outside the UK, and do not send them overseas from
here. There is, however, to be a hearing later this year by the
President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal to consider whether
a tribunal should have jurisdiction to hear such a case (Bryant
v FCO, brought by Mrs Bryant, former member of the local staff
in Rome).
25. Where a member of local staff has a
grievance, Post management deal with it, with escalation up the
chain in the Post (and if it is a subordinate Post, that of the
superintending Post) as necessary. There is no formal channel
of appeal back to London. But in practice local staff (or former
local staff) do contact the FCO, including at the highest levels.
Local Staff Management Unit in Personnel Command are responsible
for ensuring that Post management have handled the matter properly.
Romanian Steel and Lakshmi Mittal
26. I enclose the telegram which Michael
Jay issued on 18 February 2002. I should be grateful if you would
respect the security classification of the telegram in your handling
of it. No further guidance has yet been issued[21].
Human Rights advisers overseas
27. The FCO has a total of five advisers
at postsManila (appointed in 1998), Kathmandu (2001), Caracas
(2002), Kuala Lumpur (2202) and Kiev (2001)and two in London
(since 1998). We are currently recruiting for three further posts
in Africa and may bring a fourth, in Latin America/the Caribbean,
on stream later this year. We make all overseas appointments in
response to requests from posts.
28. All human rights advisers share the
same broad goal: to promote the observance of human rights and
bring fresh thinking and expertise to FCO human rights policy.
All have experience of human rights work, usually with NGOs. Their
roles depend on the circumstances. In Manila, for example, the
adviser has worked with government, business and civil society
to promote child rights. In Nepal, the adviser is mainly concerned
with human rights in conflict, and is working closely with the
local DFID representation. And in Kuala Lumpur, an officer is
working at the Malaysian Bar Association to help to develop its
human rights capacity. This flexibility maximises the impact of
our advisers. The advisers in London act as the hub of the network
of overseas advisers and also provide advice to the FCOs Human
Rights Policy Department, eg on mainstreaming human rights in
foreign policy, rule of law and combating torture worldwide.
29. The programme has been a resounding
success in Manila, where the President has praised the positive
impact of the adviser's work on the children, on those who deal
with them, and in raising the profile of human rights in the Philippines
and in Embassy work. Other advisers have been in post less than
a year, but the signs are that their work will be similarly successful.
Each adviser can draw on £50,000-£75,000 of the FCOs
Human Rights Project Fund to support projects.
30. The FCO will include more information
on the role and impact of human rights advisers in its Annual
Human Rights Report, due out in September 2002.
Co-location
31. At the evidence session, Michael Jay
referred to the office which we are opening in the French Embassy
compound in Niamey, Niger. It will be staffed one week a month
by an officer travelling from the British Embassy in Abidjan.
Cover for the rest of the month will be provided by a locally
engaged officer. This will enable us to have a cost-effective
presence in a country of more than 10 million people which, while
the second least-developed country in the world, is now a good
example of democracy and governance in West Africa. Reciprocally,
our High Commission in Freetown has made space available to accommodate
a French diplomat.
32. This is one of a number of innovative
co-location projects through which the FCO provides flexible,
value for money representation abroad. For instance, the US have
agreed that we can base an officer full-time for one year in the
US Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia. The officer will report to the
British Embassy in Abidjan. A presence in Liberia, will enable
us to expand our knowledge of developments and civil society,
which is particularly important since conflict in Liberia could
destabilise Sierra Leone.
33. As the Committee will know, the FCO
and DfID are also constructing a new Embassy building in Dar es
Salaam in conjunction with Germany, the Netherlands and the EU
Commission.
34. In addition to co-location with other
partners, we also seek, wherever possible, to co-locate our operations
with those of the British Council, and other organisations such
as the British Tourist Authority, to provide a one-stop shop for
those interested in the United Kingdom. But in practice it is
sometimes difficult to combine conflicting interests such as Embassy
security with the wide public assess required for British Council
teaching activities.
35. I enclose a full list of current co-location
projects and proposals[22].
Employee Opinion Survey
Michael Jay thought the Committee would also
welcome information on the FCOs third and most recent Employee
Opinion Survey. The earlier surveys were held in 1999 and 1997.
Our response rate held up at 55 per cent, considered to be good
from such a geographically disparate organisation. The full results
of the surveyincluding the results broken down by Command
and by various demographic groupingshave been placed on
the FCO Intranet and we distributed a summary of results to every
member of staff. The FCO Board discussed the results, and we are
now finalising an action plan, based on more detailed analysis,
which will be put on the Intranet shortly.
On the whole the results were encouraging, with,
for example, 80 per cent of respondents proud to work for the
FCO (some 20 per cent more than the Central Government benchmark)
and a 14 per cent increase in the number of staff who believe
that the FCO values people management. But the Board was concerned
by some key findings. Staff in the FCO continue to be unhappy
with their payonly 19 per cent believe it is fair, against
a Central Government benchmark of 34 per cent. And it is disappointing
that, despite the emphasis we have put on efforts to cut down
on long hours, the average hours worked have not come down. We
are continuing to work on this, and are piloting compressed working
(eg doing 10 days worth of work over nine days and taking the
tenth day off) in frontline Departments, as one of a number of
flexible working initiatives.
Ways in which UK Diplomacy has made a difference
Lastly, you and the Committee may be interested
to read the Foreign Secretary's list of recent ways in which UK
Diplomacy has made a difference. It can be found on the FCO website
under "Mission Statement" at http://www.fco.gov.uk.
I enclose a copy[23].
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
July 2002
POSTS: RANKED BY SPENDING, 1999-2001
Post | 1999-2000
| 2000-2001 | 2001-2002
|
Washington | 1
| 1 | 1
|
Brussels | 3
| 4 | 2
|
New York | 6
| 5 | 3
|
Tokyo | 2 |
2 | 4
|
Paris | 4 |
6 | 5
|
Berlin | 5
| 3 | 6
|
Hong Kong | 7
| 7 | 7
|
Peking | 11
| 9 | 8
|
New Delhi | 9
| 12 | 9
|
Moscow | 10
| 10 | 10
|
Madrid | 8
| 11 | 11
|
Rome | 13 |
15 | 12
|
Lima |
| | 13
|
Lagos | 16
| 17 | 14
|
Colombo | |
| 15 |
Warsaw | 19
| | 16
|
Seoul |
| | 17
|
Buenos Aires |
| 13 | 18
|
Geneva | 15
| 19 | 19
|
Athens |
| | 20
|
Dublin |
| 8 |
|
Caracas |
| 14 |
|
Islamabad | 18
| 16 |
|
Ottawa | 12
| 18 |
|
Istanbul |
| 16 |
|
Bonn | 14 |
|
|
Vienna | 17
| |
|
Budapest | 20
| |
|
FCO Corporate Sponsorship Details 2001-02
Project | Sponsor
| Sponsorship Value |
Information Kiosk | Logica
| £350,000 |
Benefit to the FCO
Reduced price of support Logica provides to the
Information Kiosk Project.
Benefit to Logica
Logica can publicly acknowledge its role in supplying
and supporting the project.
Logica can issue press releases referring to their
involvement in the project provided they are cleared first with
the FCO.
Logica may use the websites it delivers as a reference.
Within the portal site and various FCO sites Logica
will cause to appear in a discreet manner a brief reference to
Logica's involvement in the project, using the words, "Powered
by Logica" the Logica logo and provision of a link. [The
letter of agreement states that Logica do not intend to take up
valuable space for the link, and the project team do not expect
the site to materially change to accommodate the "Powered
by Logical" reference.
Project | Sponsor
| Sponsorship Value |
Consular Publicity | Columbus Direct
| £35,000 |
Benefit to the FCO
Sponsorship of the "Checklist for Travellers"
leaflet.
Benefit to Columbus Direct
Small advertisement by Columbus Direct on the
back of leaflet, and a statement below it by the FCO acknowledging
Columbus Direct's support in producing the leaflet.
Project | Sponsor
| Sponsorship Value |
VIP Suite Transport | Lexus (GB) Ltd
| £25,000 |
Benefit to the FCO
The loan of two LS series limousines and three
RX3000 4x4 vehicles
The provision of car user handbooks for the above
vehicles
The major periodic services and the replacement
of tyres of the above vehicles
The delivery and collection of the above vehicles
The provision of the Road Fund Licence for the
above vehicles
Benefit to Lexus (GB) Ltd
VIP Facility Access Rights
The Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, if visiting
or transiting UK
Rights of Association
Official Supplier of Vehicles to the British Government's
VIP Suites at London's Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.
Use of approved still photographs for advertising
purposes,
Promotional literature supplied by Sponsor to
be circulated in VIP Suites and in vehicles.
Project | Sponsor
| Sponsorship Value |
Hajj Delegation | British Airways
| £10,000 |
| Noon Products
| £10,000 |
Benefit to the FCO
Sponsorship of the "Advice to British Hajjis"
leaflet.
Benefit to British Airways
On the back of the leaflet, a statement that the
British Hajj Delegation gratefully acknowledges the support of
British Airways.
Benefit to Noon Products
On the front of the leaflet:
a statement that the leaflet was prepared with the
British Muslim Community in association with Noon Products Limited
and (its associated company) Bombay Halwa Limited. Their logos
are also displayed.
Project | Sponsor
| Sponsorship Value |
Consular Publicity | Western Union
| £9,000 |
Benefit to the FCO
Sponsorship of the "Backpackers and Independent
Travellers" leaflet.
Benefit to Western Union
Small advertisement by Western Union on the back
of leaflet, and a statement below it by the FCO acknowledging
Western Union's support in producing the leaflet.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
July 2002
CO-LOCATION TABLE
1. WITH EU PARTNERS
| Participants
| Nature of Proposal |
Space Required | Current Status
|
| Lead
| Other |
| |
|
Americas Command |
| |
| |
|
Asuncion | UK
| Belgium | Possible collocation
| One Room | The Belgians have expressed an interest in returning to Paraguay. HMA-designate will sound the Belgian Ambassador to Argentina about the provision of a room in our Embassy in Asuncion.
|
Lima | UK |
Germany | Co-located Consular/Visa Office
| | Germans sub-lease part of Consular/Visa Section from us. Sub-lease signed 1 March 1997.
|
Port au Prince | Canada
| UK | Proposal to co-locate
two staff members in Canadian Embassy
| One office
and small storeroom
| EG wrote to Canadians on
16 November asking if they would consider collocation in current and new Embassy.
|
Quito | UK |
Germany | Purpose-built co-located property with UK and Germany each taking one floor and the third floor (Consular/Visa Section shared)
| UK: 500m |
|
Germany: 500m | MOU signed 9 July 1999. Building occupied July 1999.
| |
| |
|
Africa Command |
| |
| |
|
Abuja | EU Commission
| Austria; |
| |
|
Germany; |
| |
| |
|
Greece; |
| |
| |
|
Ireland; |
| |
| |
|
Netherlands |
| |
| |
|
| EU Project for new build Embassies, UK not participating
| | MOU, to which UK is not a party, agreed. Tenders received and selection made. Work likely to commence November 2001. UK has own site for new BHC and is not participating.
| |
|
Banjul | UK |
France | Space sharing in British High Commission
| | In line with the commitment at the Cahors Summit in February 2001, we have offered space within our High Commission for use by the French for their new Embassy.
|
Dar es Salaam | UK
| EU |
| |
|
Germany |
| |
| |
|
Netherlands | Joint development of new Embassy/BHC building on UK site
| UK (inc DFID): 842m |
| |
|
Commission: 523m |
| |
| |
|
Germany: 495m |
| |
| |
|
Netherlands: 659m |
| |
| |
|
Common: 656m |
| |
| |
|
| Work proceeding on site. Occupation programmed by end of 2002.
| |
| |
|
Freetown | UK
| France | Space in BHC for French diplomat
| |
|
Gaborone | UK
| France | space in BHC for
non-Resident French Ambassador visiting from Lusaka
| | French use one room on occasional basis. Local arrangement.
|
Maseru | UK |
Other EU | Co-located BHC/Embassy in owned BHC building
| | EU Partners informed that we have space available. No current interest.
|
Asia Command |
| |
| |
|
Bombay | UK |
EU Partners | Co-location with EU Partners
| | We are examining options for alternative office site. There may be scope for involving one or more EU Partners. Business case to DISG in July.
|
Colombo | UK
| EU Partners | Collocation with
EU Partners
| | We are looking to move and are negotiating the purchase of a site which might be large enough to accommodate an EU Partner.
|
Ho Chi Minh City | UK
| Germany | Surplus Space
| | Considering options on use of two floors, including conversion into flats or co-location with British Consul. Germans have expressed an interest and inspected the premises on
28 August 2001. Their formal response is awaited. If they were to co-locate one floor of the offices would still remain vacant.
|
Pyongyang | Germany
| UK | Co-located Embassy
| | The Germans have leased office space and residential accommodation for two years at nil rent in exchange for improvements. We have also recently leased further residential accommodation to include an Ambassador's Residence at nil rent for 10 years again in exchange for further improvements.
|
Rangoon | UK
| EU Partners | Surplus Space
| UK: 900m | Germans no longer interested in colocation. We are seeking other expression of interest.
|
EU Command |
| |
| |
|
Copenhagen | Germany
| UK | Collocated Embassy in new build offices
| | We are developing proposals with the Germans for co-located missions on a shared site.
|
Mena Command |
| |
| |
|
Beirut | UK |
EU Partners | Collocated Embassies in new build project
| | UK are renting in Solidere. Germans propose to take space next to UK. No input for UK.
|
Rabat | UK |
EU Partners | Possible co-location in new Embassy build
| | Dutch no longer interested in co-locating.
|
Wider Europe Command |
| |
| |
|
Almaty | Germany
| France, UK | Germans and French jointly lease building. We sub-lease from Germans for British Embassy
| | MOU signed 10 July 1992. Technical Memorandum signed 9 January 1993. Post opened November 1992. In 1999 we took additional space from the Germans to accommodate extra staff and create a Conference Room.
|
Ashgabat | UK
| France, Germany | Embasises co-located in same building
| | UK, France and Germany all lease space within the AK Altin Plaza complex.
|
Astana | EU |
EU Partners | EU missions represented in Almaty operate
(and share the cost of)
a co-located bureau de passage at Okan International Hotel as an interim measure
| | Kazakh Governmant have moved from Almaty to Astana. EU Bureau de Passage established 1 August 1999. Possible opportunity to relocate when we move to Astana.
|
Minsk | UK |
Italy | We sub-lease space in the Karl Marx 37 building to the Italians
| | Sub-lease signed 21 July 1995. MOU signed 31 October 1995. We are outgrowing our (smaller) part of the building and may need to ask the Italians for more space.
|
Nicosia | UK
| Italy | Italians asked if we can make use of our consular facilities in Shakespeare Avenue. We have agreed.
| |
|
Skopje | UK |
Germany | We are looking to build a new Embassy, possibly with the Germans
| | Project untied from Estate Group. Feasibility study to establish whether the plot is big enough for an
Anglo/German Embassy being concluded. Possible developer deal.
|
Sofia | UK |
EC | Missions co-located in the same building
| | The European Commission lease the floor below us at
9 Moskovska.
|
2. WITH BRITISH
COUNCIL
| Nature of Proposal
| Comments/Current Status |
Americas Command |
| |
Curitiba | Co-location |
British Council sub-lease 48.5m2 of British Consulate under a local agreement.
|
Havana | Co-location | British Council sub-lease 27.1m2 of British Embassy. Licence currently under negotiation.
|
Kingston | Co-location |
British Council sub-lease 52.33m2 of BHC since 28 October 1998. Licence dated 29 July 1998.
|
Lima | Planned co-location |
British Council plan to take 63m2 plus 279m2 of shared space in a new building, due for completion 2002.
|
Ottawa | Co-location | British Council sub-lease 132.1m2 of BHC since 10 July 1992. Licence dated 14 August 1997.
|
Port of Spain | Co-location
| British Council sub-lease 47m2 of BHC since 1 April 1998. Licence dated 12 October 1998.
|
Rio de Janeiro | Possible co-location
| HM ConsulGeneral interested in possible co-location with the Council on expiry of current CG lease in May 2003.
|
Washington | Separate offices
| British Council sub-lease old Chancery Building since 1 April 1998. Lease expires
31 March 2003.
|
Africa Command |
| |
Abuja | Co-location | British Council sub-lease 155.9m2 of BHC under local agreement, but are due to move out shortly into their own purpose-built offices.
|
Gaborone | Co-location |
British Council sub-lease 265.1m2 of BHC since 21 August 1993 under Licence.
|
Harare | Rental of spare space
| BC to fund installation of PBCL door to protect access through the atrium.
|
Kampala | Use of spare space
| British Council vacated BHC but wish to use two vacant store rooms. Agreement yet to be reached on cost.
|
Maputo | Possible space in BHC compound
| DfID are building a new office on our BHC Compound. There could be spare space if the Council are interested, but agreement has yet to be reached on cost.
|
Nairobi | Possible development on site next to British High Commission
| We are trying to buy a plot next to the British High Commission. The British Council might be interested in building on it in 12 months' time.
|
Port Harcourt | Shared offices
| British Council share occupation of ground floors and occasional use of conference room. No formal agreement.
|
Yaounde | Possible scope for colocation
| We are trying to buy a plot on which to build a British High Commission. There might be spare space if the Council are interested.
|
Asia Pacific Command |
| |
Aukland | Co-location | British Council sub-lease 39m2 at DHC since 1 April 1999. Licence dated 7 December 1999, expires 31 March 2002.
|
Bangalore | Possible co-location
| Trade Office and British Council are both currently looking for new premises.
|
Bandar Seri Begawan | Co-location
| British Council sub-lease 34m2 at BHC wef May 2001. Licence currently under negotiation.
|
Ho Chi Minh City | Co-location
| British Council sub-lease 145.5m2 at BCG since 10 January 1997 under Licence dated
16 December 1996. The Council are considering taking additional spare space.
|
Hong Kong | Separate offices
| British Council sub-lease separate building since 16 September 1996 under Licence dated 2 December 1998.
|
Kathmandu | Co-located on Embassy Compound
| British Council own a separate building on the British Embassy Compound. Ground rent Licence currently under negotiation.
|
Kuala Lumpur | Possible colocation
| Proposal currently under discussion. |
Rangoon | Co-location | British Council sub-lease 361m2 since 1 April 1996 under Licence dated 10 January 1997. The Council are considering taking additional spare space.
|
Singapore | Co-located on
BHC Compound
| The British Council own a separate building on the BHC Compound, for which they pay a nominal ground rent, which is subject to review.
|
Wellington | Co-location |
British Council sub-lease 125m2 at BHC since 1 January 1992. Memorandum of Terms dated 8 December 1992 due to expire
31 December 2003.
|
Europe Command |
| |
Stockholm | Co-location |
British Council sub-lease 31.3m2 at British Embassy since 9 December 1998. Licence dated 11 December 1998 expired 31 July 2001 and is currently under renewal.
|
Mena Command |
| |
Tunis | Co-location | British Council sub-lease 393.5m2 at British Embassy under Licence.
|
Wider Europe |
| |
Nicosia | Co-location | British Council plan to build in grounds of our property in Northern Cyprus.
|
Valletta | Co-location |
British Council sub-lease 56.8m2 at BHC since 1 July 1998 under Licence dated 6 July 1998. New High Commission being built.
|
Yekaterinburg | Co-location
| British Council sub-lease 63.4m2 at BCG since 1 April 1996. Memorandum of Terms dated 30 April 1996. New Embassy being built.
|
3. WITH OTHERS
Members of the Overseas Property Organisation Conference
(Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA) have been offered surplus
space in Gaborone, Ho Chi Minh City, Maseru, Port of Spain and
Rangoon.
Japanthe Chief Clerk and his Japanese counterpart
have agreed that it would be worthwhile to consider the possibility
of colocating where we are looking for accommodation or have surplus
space.
Abbreviations:
MOUMemorandum of Understanding
BHCBritish High Commission
4BCGBritish Consulate-General
Estate Strategy Unit FCO
July 2002
17
Ev 85. Back
18
Copies of leaflets and radio interviewers' briefing notes not
printed. Back
19
Ev 85-86. Back
20
FCO Sponsorship Guidlines, published by the Purchasing
Directorate, FCO, April 2002. Not printed. Back
21
The telegram is not printed. A further note on guidance to Posts
is attached, Ev 91. Back
22
Co-location Table, Edition 20. Ev 87-91. Back
23
Not printed. Back
|