Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 9 February 2005.
Mr Donald Anderson
Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions since 1 May 1997 the Government has waived the immunity of British diplomats or members of their families; what the circumstances of the waiver were in each case; how many requests from foreign Governments for waivers were turned down in the same period; and what the circumstances of each refusal were.
Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (Trade) (also Department of Trade and Industry), Minister of State (Department of Trade and Industry) (Trade) (also Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
We regularly waive the immunity of British diplomats to enable them to give evidence in civil or criminal matters. Details are not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
We have no record of any requests from foreign Governments for the waiver of diplomatic immunity from criminal jurisdiction of British diplomats or their families during the period in question.
Yes2 people think so
No3 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
