Skip to main content

Zimbabwe: Embassies

Volume 494: debated on Monday 15 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 15 September 2008, Official Report, columns 2201-02W, on Zimbabwe: embassies, how much the embassy of Zimbabwe owed in business rates on the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps are being taken to ensure that payment of outstanding business rates is made. (279326)

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) of HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for billing and collection of national non-domestic rates (NNDR). VOA send quarterly statements to all missions, and we continue to work with the VOA to press all diplomatic missions to pay their NNDR bills.

The embassy of Zimbabwe has not made any NNDR payments in the last five years.

At the end of the financial year 2008-09, the embassy of Zimbabwe owed a total of £79,883 in national non-domestic rates (NNDR). The embassy's NNDR bill for 2009-10 is £13,531.50. We wrote to the embassy of Zimbabwe in March to highlight their outstanding debts and to remind them of their obligation to pay NNDR. We will continue to press them to settle their debts.