To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent diplomatic contact the UK Government have had with the Governments of (a) the Cook Islands, (b) Niue, (c) Tokelau, (d) the Coral Sea Islands, (e) the Heard and MacDonald Islands, (f) the Cocos Islands, (g) Christmas Island and (h) the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. (95100)

The Government normally has diplomatic contacts with the Australian and New Zealand Governments in respect of the territories concerned.

Our high commission in Canberra has had no recent contact with the Government of Australia with regards to the Australian dependent territories of the Coral Sea Islands, the Heard and MacDonald Islands, the Cocos Islands, Christmas Island and the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. Our high commission in Wellington has recently had contact with the high commissioner of Niue, the New Zealand administrator for Tokelau and with the high commissioner of the Cook Islands and members of the Cook Islands Government.