House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Debts owed by Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations in the United Kingdom: 2018
25 February 2020 · Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Proposed by Dominic Raab Con Esher and Walton
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The Foreign and Commonwealth Office met with diplomatic missions to discuss outstanding debts.
- FCO officials wrote to debtors in May 2019 offering opportunities to pay or appeal fines.
- The statement includes a detailed list of organisations and their debt amounts as of specific dates.
Issue summary
The statement addresses outstanding debts owed by diplomatic missions and international organisations in the United Kingdom, including parking fines, National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR), and Congestion Charge debt.
Action requested
FCO officials have met with missions to press for payment of outstanding debts. They wrote to debtors in May 2019 offering opportunities to pay or appeal fines if recorded incorrectly. The statement provides a detailed list of organisations and the amount they owe as of specific dates.
Key facts
- Parking fines totalled £47,165 for Nigeria's High Commission and £19,765 for Afghanistan's Embassy in 2018.
- Diplomatic missions pay only 6% of NNDR value due to services received such as street cleaning and lighting.
- As of December 2018, the US Embassy owed £12,446,845 in Congestion Charge debt.