To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 12 November (WA 206) concerning the cost of the British Embassy in Dublin, why the running costs have increased by approximately 40 per cent in the past five years. [HL141]

The running cost figures for our embassy in Dublin provided in the previous Answer consisted of direct administration income and expenditure for the years concerned. In 2004-05 and 2005-06 significant income, mainly for property sales proceeds, reduced the net overall running costs figures. If this income is removed from the figures the running costs for our embassy in Dublin have remained broadly consistent over the five financial years.