Chinese Embassy

Baroness Taylor of Stevenage Excerpts

Thursday 15th January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Con)]

My Lords, it is deeply regrettable that this Urgent Question was not answered by the Security Minister in the other place, given that it was asked by the shadow Security Minister. In light of her significant experience in your Lordships’ House, the noble Baroness the Minister is of course aware that, here, Ministers answer for the whole Government and not just their department. Accordingly, when I go on to ask a question about security issues, I am sure that she will not disappoint us by saying that this is a live planning matter that cannot be commented on.

With that in mind, the United States has said that it is deeply concerned by the new Chinese mega-embassy, given its now-revealed secret rooms and its location. Can the Minister say whether our allies, including the United States, back the approval of the embassy?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) (Lab)]

My Lords, I do not want to disappoint the noble Lord, so I will say that it would not be appropriate to comment on a live planning application. He would expect me to say that and I say it on behalf of the whole Government, not just MHCLG. National security is the first duty of government more generally. All relevant planning considerations will be taken into account when making a decision in this case.

As the noble Lord knows, the Government regularly engage with representatives of foreign Governments, including the United States, to discuss a broad range of issues. Details of those discussions are not made public.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

My Lords, does the Minister agree with me that it is a material circumstance that this will be the largest Communist Party of China building in Europe? It will co-ordinate transnational repression in the United Kingdom and espionage on an industrial scale, including electronic and human surveillance, and initiate bounties on British passport holders resident here in the United Kingdom. When the Prime Minister visits Beijing, instead of congratulating China on having planning approval for its embassy, should he not inform the Chinese authorities that we will put China on the foreign influence registration scheme, prosecute those putting bounties on British passport holders resident in the UK and tighten international repression laws here in the United Kingdom?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I understand noble Lords’ frustration about our not yet being able to answer some of the questions about which material considerations have been taken into account, but they will be when we determine the application. This is a decision for planning Ministers, independent of the rest of government. Planning Ministers must take decisions following the quasi-judicial process that is completely right and correct for those decisions and based on evidence and planning rules. On transnational repression, we will not tolerate attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, especially in the United Kingdom.

[Lord Spellar (Lab)]

My Lords, can we now come to some degree of reality? Embassies are for relations between states; they do not imply approval of states. Furthermore, spying activities have emanated from embassies right the way back to ambassadors being expelled from this country for being part of plots to assassinate monarchs, let alone the regular expulsion of Russian spies from the Russian embassy. Can we be very clear about the size of the embassy? Large countries tend to have large embassies, and China is a very large country. That is just a fact. Can we deal with this practically rather than with overexaggeration?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My noble friend raises the size of the embassy. That will be taken into account by the decision-making Minister as a material planning consideration.

In relation to China’s presence in the UK, it already has seven diplomatic buildings in this country. It is not new for it to have a presence here; this is about a particular planning application for a new embassy. Decisions will be taken according to the material planning considerations. I am sorry; I know it sounds a bit like Groundhog Day, but I am afraid that is what you will get from me, whichever way the question is framed.

[Baroness Hoey (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, most Londoners know just how difficult it is to get a tiny little extension approved for the back of their house. Why on earth does a foreign embassy need such a huge building in such an important area? Even the United States of America does not have such a huge embassy. Aside from security issues, does she not agree that this is a ridiculous application?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The noble Baroness has a view on that, but the Ministers taking the decision have to determine the application as it stands. The documents were submitted correctly to Tower Hamlets Council and the decision is now being considered in MHCLG. It is a decision for planning Ministers. It is open for any party to make representations about the case, the matter the noble Baroness raises or anything else. All relevant planning considerations will be taken into account when making the decision.

[Lord Kerr of Kinlochard (CB)]

I appreciate all the constraints, and any expertise that I had is extremely out of date, but does the Minister agree that it is conceivable that those responsible for keeping an eye on the Chinese embassy might prefer it to be concentrated on one site, rather than spread over eight, nine or 10 all over London?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My Lords, that is a matter for the security services and not for planning.

[Lord Fox (LD)]

My Lords, the Minister is very keen on talking about material planning considerations, and she has already said that the size of the embassy is one of those. May I ask about one of the other planning considerations, which has caused a great deal of concern: the proximity of the embassy to important data infrastructure? In considering the material nature of the planning consideration, has a full risk analysis been carried out on this issue, who carried out that risk analysis, and were any mitigating issues suggested by that risk assessment?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

As is usual with a planning application, all interested parties were able to submit representations to the planning inquiry when that took place, and they have subsequently been able to submit representations to the department as it considered this application. There were submissions from the Foreign Office and the Home Office and I am sure that very due consideration will be paid to those, in the original process and as the matter moves forward.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

Mine is also a material planning question. Given the human rights abuses in China against the Uyghurs, the Tibetan people, the Hong Kongers and many others, large protests can be expected outside the embassy, and we surely want to facilitate those protests—the right for peaceful protest here in the UK. Police have expressed concern that the site is not appropriate for such protests. Is this being taken into consideration?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The police, like other interested parties, are able to submit their information to the planning inspector and, now, to the Minister who is making the decision. When the decision is taken—and my understanding is that the final decision will be made on or before 20 January—all the relevant submissions will be made public.

[Lord Cashman (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, as a resident of Tower Hamlets, I point out that the first Chinatown in the UK existed in the East End of London, not far from where the current building is proposed—a building that has been largely disused for approximately eight years. Therefore, does the Minister agree with me that the important issue here is that we apply and enforce the same laws and principles as we would with any other country?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My noble friend makes an important point: if we were considering this planning application for any embassy, we would consider it according to the propriety guidance that exists around planning applications, which is very strong, and strictly according to the material considerations that need to be taken into account for planning. That process is broad and wide and allows all interested parties to submit the information that they feel is relevant to the planning application. It is then for the decision-maker to decide which of those should influence their decision.

[Lord Sandhurst (Con)]

My Lords, we have been told that security is a planning issue—that it is relevant to it. What are the criteria by which security is to be measured in this context?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

There are two elements of security: one is the security of the building itself and the other is the security of the site. Where those are material planning considerations, they will be taken into account as they should be, as will any submissions from the Security Service, the police and others when the planning application is considered.