Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether diplomats based in the British Embassy in Washington pay UK (i) income tax and (ii) National Insurance on (a) Cost of Living Addition (COLA) and (b) Diplomatic Service Compensation Allowance (DSA), and (c) their core salary.

All UK Based staff working overseas for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office pay UK income tax and National Insurance (for the first 52 weeks' service overseas) on their base salary. Cost of Living Addition (COLA) and Diplomatic Service Compensation Allowance (DSA) are both exempt from UK income tax and National Insurance deductions.