Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of police powers in responding to suspected offences committed by diplomatic mission staff where evidence is withdrawn into inviolable diplomatic premises.

The Government recognises that, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR), the premises of a diplomatic mission are inviolable. The UK complies with its international obligations under the VCDR. Where appropriate, law enforcement authorities may seek a waiver of inviolability from the sending State through established diplomatic channels.