Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 4 April (HL6671), what guidance is given to British diplomats on maintaining political impartiality when they are acting privately in a public setting, as distinct from carrying out their diplomatic responsibilities.

British diplomats are respected around the world because of the high standards to which they hold themselves, of which the Diplomatic Service Code is a key part. The private conduct of British diplomats is governed by the Diplomatic Service Code, contained in the Diplomatic Service Regulations (DSRs) as DSR1. DSR36 of these Regulations also highlights the requirements relating to political activity.