The Head ofProtocol at the Foreign Office confirmed this view, which means that, despite twelve years of service, Mrs Jimenez has never, legally, been a member of the mission.
The Scottish government said it was in the process of agreeing a protocol for FAIs in Scotland with the Ministry of Justice, the MoD, the Crown office and the Procurator Fiscal Service.
New Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has made the environment one of his priorities, signing up to the Kyoto Protocol on tackling climate change soon after he took office.