To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions and for how many days UK diplomatic staff based in Sri Lanka but accredited to the Republic of the Maldives have stayed in the Maldives over the last 12 months. (188460)

British officials based in our high commission in Colombo, but accredited to the Republic of the Maldives, made 12 official visits to the Maldives in 2007, totalling 34 days. In January 2008 they visited Maldives twice for a total of four days. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep records of private visits.