Statement
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has held meetings with a number of missions about outstanding parking fine debt, outstanding National Non-Domestic Rates payments and unpaid Congestion Charge debt. The Director of Protocol raises the issue in his introductory meetings with all new Ambassadors and High Commissioners whose missions are in debt to the relevant authorities. FCO officials also press diplomatic missions and international organisations to pay outstanding fines and debts. Earlier this year, Protocol Directorate wrote to diplomatic missions and international organisations concerned giving them the opportunity to either pay their outstanding debts, or appeal against specific fines if they considered that they had been issued incorrectly.
Parking fines: In 2017, 4,737 parking fines incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in London were brought to our attention by local councils, Transport for London and the City of London. These totalled £444,618.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has held meetings with missions which have substantial outstanding parking fine debts. In addition, in May this year we wrote to diplomatic missions and international organisations concerned giving them the opportunity either to pay their outstanding fines or appeal against them if they considered that the fines had been issued incorrectly.
Subsequent payments (including amounts waived by the above authorities) totalled £173.443. There remains a total of £271,175 in unpaid fines for 2017.
The table below details those diplomatic missions and international organisations which have outstanding fines from 2017 totalling £1,000 or more, as of 31 July 2018.
Diplomatic Mission/International Organisation 2017 | Amount of Outstanding Fines (excluding congestion charge) |
High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria | £39,225 |
High Commission for the Republic of Zambia | £20,450 |
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia | £18,535 |
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | £12,920 |
Embassy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire | £11,145 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | £10,885 |
Embassy of the United Arab Emirates | £10,825 |
Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman | £9,650 |
Malaysian High Commission | £8,965 |
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan | £8,735 |
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan | £7,885 |
Embassy of Libya | £7,075 |
Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan | £6,890 |
Embassy of France | £4,960 |
Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | £4,485 |
Embassy of the State of Qatar | £4,055 |
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq | £3,685 |
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria | £3,010 |
Embassy of the Republic of Liberia | £2,940 |
Office of the High Commissioner for India | £2,835 |
High Commission for Sierra Leone | £2,445 |
Embassy of the State of Kuwait | £2,415 |
Embassy of the People's Republic of China | £2,290 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania | £2,090 |
High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | £2,030 |
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia | £2,005 |
Embassy of Romania | £1,785 |
Embassy of the Russian Federation | £1,770 |
Embassy of the Republic of Angola | £1,750 |
Royal Thai Embassy | £1,625 |
Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan | £1,510 |
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam | £1,320 |
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria | £1,210 |
Embassy of Georgia | £1,210 |
Embassy of Ukraine | £1,200 |
Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan | £1,120 |
High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania | £1,070 |
National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR):
The majority of diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom pay the National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) due from them. Diplomatic missions and international organisations are obliged to pay only 6% of the total NNDR value of their offices. This represents payment for specific services received such as street cleaning and street lighting.
Representations by Protocol Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to missions in 2018 led to the settlement of outstanding debts by a number of missions.
As at 20 September 2018, the total amount of outstanding NNDR payments, due before 31 December 2017, owed by foreign diplomatic missions and international organisations as advised by the Valuation Office Agency is £1,507,576, an increase of 43% over the 2016 figure, as reported in the 2017 WMS (£1,049,999). However, £73,589 of this outstanding debt is owed by Syria – which is not currently represented in the UK and we have therefore been unable to pursue this debt. Three missions are responsible for over a fifth of the remainder. We shall continue to urge those with NNDR debt to pay their dues.
The Missions listed below owed over £10,000 in respect of NNDR.
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan | £137,122 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran | £123,570 |
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe | £101,694 |
Embassy of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria | £74,933 |
Embassy of Libya | £76,304 |
High Commission for Sierra Leone | £67,573 |
High Commission for the Republic of Zambia | £56,325 |
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq | £55,015 |
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt | £53,977 |
Uganda High Commission | £44,489 |
Embassy of the Republic of Angola | £38,074 |
Malaysian High Commission | £37,793 |
High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | £36,560 |
Embassy of the Republic of Liberia | £32,806 |
High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon | £32,196 |
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | £35,061 |
Embassy of the Republic of Albania | £26,831 |
High Commission for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | £26,278 |
Embassy of Ukraine | £23,602 |
Embassy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire | £22,602 |
The Commonwealth Secretariat | £18,496 |
Embassy of the State of Qatar | £17,573 |
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania | £12,143 |
London Congestion Charge: The value of unpaid Congestion Charge debt incurred by diplomatic missions and international organisations in London since its introduction in February 2003 until 31 December 2017 as advised by Transport for London (TfL) was £110,069,300. The table below shows those diplomatic missions and international organisations with outstanding fines of £100,000 or more. FCO officials continue to press diplomatic missions to pay Congestion Charge, and any other outstanding debts. The Director of Protocol raises the issue in his introductory meetings with all new Ambassadors and High Commissioners whose missions are in debt to TfL. Officials also write to diplomatic missions and international organisations with large Congestion Charge debts to encourage payment.
COUNTRY | NUMBER OF FINES | TOTAL OUTSTANDING |
Embassy of the United States of America | 99,150 | £ 11,925,920 |
Embassy of Japan | 66,783 | £ 8,021,190 |
High Commission for the Federal Republic of Nigeria | 56,085 | £ 6,724,405 |
Embassy of the Russian Federation | 48,136 | £ 5,653,955 |
Office of the High Commissioner for India | 43,940 | £ 5,394,580 |
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany | 36,770 | £ 4,288,680 |
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China | 34,256 | £ 4,337,295 |
Embassy of the Republic of Poland | 33,350 | £ 4,065,250 |
Office of the High Commissioner for Ghana | 30,080 | £ 3,655,695 |
Embassy of the Republic of Sudan | 27,016 | £ 3,160,730 |
Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan | 25,281 | £ 3,116,930 |
High Commission for Kenya | 21,729 | £ 2,569,330 |
Embassy of France | 18,188 | £ 2,172,845 |
High Commission for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | 17,010 | £ 2,105,395 |
High Commission for the United Republic of Tanzania | 16,621 | £ 1,945,100 |
Embassy of Spain | 16,112 | £ 1,927,350 |
Embassy of the Republic of Korea | 15,527 | £ 1,907,655 |
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba | 13,442 | £ 1,650,310 |
Embassy of Algeria | 13,395 | £ 1,590,040 |
High Commission for the Republic of South Africa | 13,359 | £ 1,555,650 |
Embassy of Romania | 13,327 | £ 1,581,930 |
High Commission for Sierra Leone | 12,535 | £ 1,470,390 |
Embassy of Greece | 12,093 | £ 1,428,025 |
Embassy of Ukraine | 12,014 | £ 1,412,810 |
Embassy of Hungary | 9,314 | £ 1,118,250 |
High Commission for the Republic of Cyprus | 8,971 | £ 1,081,995 |
High Commission for the Republic of Zambia | 7,840 | £ 928,580 |
Embassy of the Republic of Yemen | 7,700 | £ 919,630 |
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria | 6,971 | £ 812,180 |
High Commission for the Republic of Cameroon | 6,069 | £ 712,515 |
Embassy of the Republic of Belarus | 5,877 | £ 691,840 |
High Commission for Botswana | 5,832 | £ 710,440 |
High Commission for the Republic of Malawi | 5,803 | £ 694,645 |
High Commission for the Republic of Mozambique | 5,535 | £ 660,870 |
Embassy of the Slovak Republic | 5,522 | £ 644,985 |
Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia | 5,429 | £ 634,600 |
High Commission for the Republic of Namibia | 5,380 | £ 602,145 |
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe | 5,350 | £ 606,395 |
High Commission for Kingdom of Swaziland | 5,175 | £ 602,440 |
Embassy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire | 4,979 | £ 594,655 |
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey | 4,926 | £ 606,645 |
High Commission for Malta | 4,723 | £ 574,890 |
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania | 4,617 | £ 556,695 |
Embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea | 4,493 | £ 527,795 |
Embassy of Austria | 4,481 | £ 538,875 |
High Commission for Mauritius | 4,434 | £ 521,990 |
High Commission for the Kingdom of Lesotho | 4,087 | £ 479,600 |
Embassy of the Republic of Liberia | 4,045 | £ 492,485 |
Uganda High Commission | 4,026 | £ 483,530 |
Embassy of Belgium | 3,661 | £ 438,575 |
Embassy of the Czech Republic | 3,602 | £ 418,780 |
Embassy of the Republic of Guinea | 3,574 | £ 181,630 |
Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam | 3,471 | £ 411,520 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | 3,440 | £ 409,465 |
High Commission for Jamaica | 3,080 | £ 368,945 |
Royal Danish Embassy | 3,049 | £ 365,045 |
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco | 2,953 | £ 377,535 |
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,839 | £ 353,530 |
Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan | 2,729 | £ 351,005 |
High Commission for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | 2,724 | £ 344,725 |
Embassy of Tunisia | 2,613 | £ 322,495 |
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt | 2,300 | £ 243,220 |
Embassy of Portugal | 2,297 | £ 282,130 |
Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea | 2,249 | £ 259,380 |
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia | 2,247 | £ 271,850 |
Embassy of Finland | 2,224 | £ 266,550 |
Embassy of the Republic of Iraq | 2,206 | £ 280,190 |
High Commission for Antigua & Barbuda | 2,151 | £ 255,060 |
Embassy of Luxembourg | 2,029 | £ 244,770 |
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia | 2,009 | £ 245,590 |
Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 1,826 | £ 200,150 |
High Commission for Belize | 1,779 | £ 220,740 |
Embassy of Estonia | 1,455 | £ 180,115 |
Embassy of the State of Eritrea | 1,266 | £ 150,530 |
Embassy of the Dominican Republic | 1,231 | £ 147,690 |
High Commission for Guyana | 1,186 | £ 139,635 |
The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the International Maritime Organisation | 1,095 | £ 80,510 |
High Commission for the Republic of the Maldives | 1,074 | £ 132,445 |
High Commission for Seychelles | 1,052 | £ 128,005 |
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania | 1,025 | £ 109,050 |
Embassy of El Salvador | 964 | £ 115,330 |
Embassy of the Republic of Moldova | 838 | £ 100,225 |
Figures for previous years are available in the Secretary for State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’ written statement to the House on 11 October 2017 (HCWS154) which can be found at https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-10-11/HCWS154/.
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This statement has also been made in the House of Lords