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26 Oct 2005 : Column 464W—continued

Diplomatic Missions (Traffic Violations)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) parking and (b) other minor traffic violation fines incurred by diplomatic missions in (i) London and (ii) the UK in each of the last four years are outstanding. [20667]

Mr. Straw: I shall issue a Written Statement, within this Parliamentary session, listing the number of outstanding parking and other minor traffic violation fines incurred by diplomatic missions based in the UK for 2004. In practice, because diplomatic missions are based mainly in London, these figures are provided by London borough councils. Details for the previous three years can be found in the Official Report as follows:

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of which countries' diplomatic missions he has had (a) discussions, (b) meetings and (c) correspondence regarding a refusal to pay the congestion charge citing (i) Article 34 and (ii) Article 49 of the Vienna Convention. [20668]

Mr. Straw: Prior to the introduction of the Congestion Charge, I had representations from the Danish and Spanish Embassies and corresponded with the Deans of the Americas, Arab, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Pacific Groups. Following the
 
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introduction of the Congestion Charge in February 2003, I have had representations from the African Union Group, who also met with my officials, as well as correspondence with the Bulgarian, Swiss, German, Moroccan and US Embassies.

Director for the Americas

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to appoint a Director for the Americas. [21131]

Mr. Straw: An appointment is expected to be made shortly, following usual internal procedures.

Embassies/High Commissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list embassies which his Department has (a) opened and (b) closed in each year from 1997. [20547]

Mr. Straw: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has opened 10 and closed nine embassies and high commissions since 1997. The following table provides further details of these posts and the year in which they were either opened or closed. Like any well-run organisation, the FCO continues to move its resources flexibly, in line with UK interests.
Embassies and high commissions opened and closed since 1997

Mission openedMission closed
2000–01Tripoli
2001–02Asmara, Bamako, Dushanbe, Kabul and Pyongyang
2002–03Chisinau, Conakry and Dili
2003–04Bamako, Managua, San Salvador and Tegucigalpa
2004–05Baghdad
2005–06Antananarivo, Asuncion, Maseru, Mbabane and Nassau

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) embassies and (b) high commissions have been (i) closed, (ii) contracted in respect of personnel and (iii) expanded in each of the last five years for which records are available. [18875]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 17 October 2005]: Like any well-run organisation the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) deploys its resources flexibly as priorities require in line with UK interests. The following embassies and high commissions have been closed in the last five years.

2000–01

2001–02

2002–03

2003–04

2004–05

2005–06


 
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The size of UK missions overseas is determined by a range of factors including changes in demand for consular and visa services; reductions due to efficiency measures; and reprioritisations in line with changed UK priorities. Data are not held centrally for non-FCO staff, eg Ministry of Defence or the Department for International Development, in British missions overseas. The following embassies and High commissions are therefore those that have expanded or contracted FCO staff numbers in the last two years. Comparable data are not held centrally for earlier years.
Name20042005
AbidjanContract
Abu DhabiContractExpand
AbujaExpandExpand
AccraExpandExpand
Addis AbabaExpandExpand
AlgiersExpandContract
AlmatyExpand
AmmanExpandExpand
AnkaraExpandExpand
AntananarivoContract
AshgabatContract
AsmaraContract
AthensExpandContract
BaghdadExpandExpand
BahrainExpand
BakuExpand
Bandar Seri BegawanExpandContract
BangkokExpandExpand
BeijingExpandExpand
BeirutExpandExpand
BelgradeExpandExpand
BelmopanContract
BerlinExpandExpand
BerneExpandContract
BogotaExpandExpand
BrasiliaExpandContract
BratislavaContractExpand
BridgetownExpandExpand
BrusselsExpandContract
BucharestExpandContract
BudapestExpandContract
Buenos AiresExpand
CairoExpand
CanberraExpandContract
CaracasExpand
ChisinauExpand
CanberraExpandContract
ColomboExpandContract
CopenhagenExpand
DakarExpand
DamascusExpandExpand
Dar es SalaamExpandContract
DhakaExpandContract
DohaExpandExpand
DublinExpandContract
DushanbeExpandExpand
FreetownExpandExpand
GeorgetownExpand
GuatemalaExpand
HagueExpand
HanoiExpandContract
HarareContractExpand
HelsinkiExpandContract
IslamabadExpandExpand
JakartaExpandContract
KabulExpandExpand
KampalaExpand
KathmanduExpandContract
KhartoumExpandExpand
KievExpand
KigaliExpandExpand
KingstonExpandContract
KinshasaExpandExpand
Kuala LumpurExpandExpand
Kuwait CityExpand
La PazContract
LilongweExpandContract
LimaContractContract
LjubljanaExpand
LuandaExpandContract
LusakaExpandContract
MadridExpandExpand
ManilaExpandExpand
MaputoContract
MaseruExpand
MbabaneContract
Mexico CityExpandExpand
MoscowExpand
MuscatExpand
NairobiExpandExpand
New DelhiExpandContract
NicosiaContractExpand
OttawaExpandContract
ParisExpandExpand
Phnom PenhExpandContract
Port LouisContract
PragueExpandContract
PretoriaExpandExpand
Pyong YangExpand
RabatExpand
RangoonExpandExpand
RigaExpand
RiyadhExpand
RomeExpandContract
Sana'aExpandExpand
SantiagoContract
SarajevoExpand
SeoulExpand
SingaporeExpandContract
SkopjeExpandExpand
SofiaExpandContract
StockholmExpandContract
TallinnExpand
TashkentExpandContract
TbilisiExpand
TehranExpand
Tel AvivExpandExpand
TiranaExpand
TokyoExpandContract
TripoliExpandExpand
TunisExpandContract
VallettaExpandContract
VaticanContract
VictoriaContract
VilniusExpand
WarsawExpand
WashingtonExpandExpand
WellingtonExpand
YaoundeExpandExpand
YerevanContract
ZagrebExpand

 
26 Oct 2005 : Column 467W
 


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