Cash-strapped Foreign Office selling Madrid embassy to pay for war on terror
The cash-strapped Foreign Office is selling Britain's Madrid embassy to pay for extra security at missions in the front line of the war on terror.
Several other premises are also being earmarked for disposal and all non-essential overseas renovation projects are being cancelled.
Only building work to which the Government is contractually committed will continue.
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The cash-strapped Foreign Office will get around £10million for the Madrid embassy
Instead the money will be ploughed in to urgent upgrades of security in Baghdad, Kabul, Bombay and Damascus.
The move comes after The Mail on Sunday disclosed that the Foreign Office had funded an 18-metre swimming pool for diplomats at the British Embassy in Kabul.
The Foreign Office's management board acted after being warned of the 'tight capital position'.
Minutes of a board meeting, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, say: "In view of the scarcity of funds, other projects would be put on hold while there was an urgent review of passible asset sales."
The Foreign Office believes the Madrid embassy, a circular Sixties block, could fetch £10.2 million.
Whitehall sources said the Foreign Office hopes the capital shortfall will be met with extra Treasury cash.
