Labour has been urged to introduce stricter rules for drivers of foreign diplomatic vehicles, which owe millions in unpaid parking and Congestion Charge fines across London.
It comes after it was revealed foreign embassy vehicles owe more than £150million in unpaid London charges, with total debts including parking fines and business rates approaching £158million.
The huge amount has now sparked calls from parliamentarians to "clamp them all" in a bid to show stronger enforcement measures towards rule breakers.
During a heated exchange in the House of Lords, Ministers faced pressure to abandon diplomatic niceties in favour of tougher measures.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing motoring@gbnews.uk
PA | Transport for London reported more than £152million in unpaid Congestion Charges
Despite diplomatic vehicles claiming immunity under international conventions, frustrated peers suggested impounding cars and introducing collection fees at the Foreign Office would be necessary.
The US Embassy topped the list of Congestion Charge defaulters, owing more than £15million, followed by Japan at £10.4million and China at £9.3million, according to a written ministerial statement from November last year.
Transport for London reported total unpaid Congestion Charges of £152,436,135, while parking fines across diplomatic missions reached £1.4 million by June 2024.
Saudi Arabia was found to be the lead parking fine defaulters with £196,630 outstanding, while China owed £646,183 in unpaid National Non-Domestic Rates - the beneficial portion of business rates that diplomatic missions must pay for services like street cleaning.
PA | Drivers of diplomatic vehicles have been ignoring road charging and parking rules across London
The Foreign Office revealed that 31 diplomatic missions responded to recent demands for payment, with some agreeing to settle debts while others disputed charges or claimed exemption under the Vienna Convention.
Parliamentary frustration boiled over during the House of Lords, with Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb declaring "that's far too much patience" before demanding: "We should clamp them all."
Lord Harris of Haringey questioned whether diplomatic immunity prevented enforcement action, asking: "Would it, for example, be possible to clamp the cars that have done this because I suspect that might concentrate the minds?"
Liberal Democrat Lord Purvis of Tweed suggested instituting "a drop off and collection fee" at the Foreign Office headquarters, while Conservative Lord Bellingham urged the Government to "get a grip" on the nearly £300million total debt.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Bishop of Manchester jokingly proposed calling the charges "tariffs" for President Trump's upcoming state visit, noting "that seems to be a word that he finds much more popular."
Baroness Chapman of Darlington, responding for the Government, maintained that "diplomacy is an art" and resisted calls for immediate enforcement action, stating: "We continue to raise these issues directly with missions in this country and we think that that's the best approach for now."
The Minister confirmed the Government considers the charges to be debts rather than taxes, consistent with the previous administration's position, but cautioned against escalating the issue above "very real concerns around security and defence and trade".
She revealed that Foreign Office action since April 2022 had helped reduce debts by £287,142 in business rates, £7,035 in parking fines, and £7,430 in Congestion Charges, marking a modest reduction given the scale of outstanding amounts.
PARLIAMENT TV
|Lord Faulkner urged the Government not to let the unpaid charges go amiss
Despite diplomatic missions claiming exemption under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the UK Government warned that these are charges, not taxes, and must be paid.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester pressed the Minister to confirm that the Vienna Convention "requires all diplomats to pay all charges, taxes and fines for which they are liable, and that includes the Congestion Charge."
The Foreign Office wrote to all diplomatic missions in February 2024 about their obligations, with the Protocol Directorate following up with those carrying outstanding debts to offer opportunities to pay or appeal incorrectly recorded fines.
While some missions have begun making small contributions towards their debts, many continue refusing payment, particularly for Congestion Charges, maintaining their disputed interpretation of diplomatic immunity under international law.