PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Embassies: India (28 March 2023)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2023 to Question 170759, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the vandalism and disorder that took place outside the High Commission of India in London in March 2023; and what steps she is taking to ensure the safety and security of diplomatic missions.

Asked by:
Navendu Mishra (Labour)

The Government takes the protective security of the Indian High Commission extremely seriously. The Government remains committed to protecting the security of missions throughout the UK, including preventing and rapidly and robustly responding to incidents such as this.

The criminal damage and assaults on staff from the India High Commission at the incident on the weekend of the 18^th March were unacceptable. The police have powers to deal with such acts. However, the use of these powers is an operational matter for the police, and decisions on possible criminal proceedings will be made in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service.

As stated in our previous response, it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on diplomatic security arrangements. To do so could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals and locations concerned.

Answered by:
Tom Tugendhat (Conservative)
17 April 2023