Boris Johnson has pledged to “carry on” working to convince embassies to pay the Congestion Charge and “fulfil their obligations to their host city”.
The Mayor’s comments were made in a letter London Assembly Chair Darren Johnson after Assembly Members passed a resolution in December calling for action to secure unpaid Congestion Charge fees and fines.
The motion called on the Mayor “to write to the Head of State of every nation with Congestion Charge payments and fines outstanding, demanding payment and to publish the responses of each country. We also call on the Mayor to use every available opportunity to ‘name and shame’ those countries refusing to pay the congestion charge, and invite each Ambassador of those countries to explain to Londoners why they refuse to and agree to publish those explanations on the GLA website”
However in his letter Mr Johnson says such action “would simply provide a highly visible way for these embassies to promote their spurious case”.
As of December more than £31m was outstanding in unpaid charges and Penalty Charge Notices with the US Embassy alone accounting for more than £3.5m. Although the Embassy paid the charge until July 2005 it now refuses to do so claiming it is a “tax” from which diplomats are exempt.
In September Mayor Johnson said Transport for London continues to chase embassies who are withholding Congestion Charge fees and penalties.
The full text of December’s motion reads:
“The London Assembly notes that there is currently at least £28million outstanding in unpaid congestion charge fees and fines by foreign embassies in London, and this figure is growing by the month.
The Assembly congratulates the 70% of diplomatic missions that do pay the congestion charge on time, but regrets that some of the worst offenders include the embassies of the United States, Russia, Germany and Japan.
The Assembly notes that the United States Embassy paid the Congestion Charge between February 2003 and July 2005, further notes that the US government has not asked for a refund of the charges paid at that time, and the Assembly would point out to the US government, and other diplomatic missions, that the Congestion Charge is not a tax, but a specific charge for a specific purpose, the money raised solely being allocated to transport projects.
The Assembly further regrets that Transport for London have given up on chasing the embassies that don’t pay the congestion charge and left it in the hands of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do so.
We therefore call on the Mayor to write to the Head of State of every nation with Congestion Charge payments and fines outstanding, demanding payment and to publish the responses of each country. We also call on the Mayor to use every available opportunity to ‘name and shame’ those countries refusing to pay the congestion charge, and invite each Ambassador of those countries to explain to Londoners why they refuse to and agree to publish those explanations on the GLA website”
