THE Foreign Office was accused yesterday of ignoring Scotland, after figures revealed all of the department's operations were based in London and south-east England.

The SNP urged the FO to relocate some of its operations north of the border, claiming Scottish taxpayers were being shortchanged.

This followed a series of parliamentary answers that showed the FO paid [GBP]3.48m in rates to English local authorities, with [GBP]2.84m paid to the City of Westminster. A total of [GBP]1.54m was paid in rent on properties in the south-east, including [GBP]1m in London, while the department paid [GBP]6m in London subsidies to staff.

Angus Robertson, SNP foreign affairs spokesman, said: "The Foreign Office is guilty of a huge London bias. It spends millions boosting the economy of London and the south-east using money raised from Scottish taxpayers.

"Not a penny is spent on staff or offices in Scotland, and yet the office claims to offer a service for the whole of the UK.

"They occupy some of the most expensive real estate in the world, and surely it would make sense to base more staff in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions.

"We live in an era of instant communication and there is absolutely no reason the office can't join the modern world. They need to stop feather-bedding London and start remembering taxpayers in the rest of the UK."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The FO provides an efficient service. Much of ourwork is overseas but there are a small number of people back in the UK. However, staffing issues are kept under constant review and various efficiency savings have already been made."