Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Opinion No. 34/2024 on Jimmy Lai published on 26 September 2024.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO takes the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention's Opinion very seriously. The UK Government has consistently called for Jimmy Lai's release and raised concerns about his case directly with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.

The Prime Minister raised Jimmy Lai with President Xi at last week's G20 Summit in Brazil and the Foreign Secretary raised his case with Wang Yi during his visit to Beijing on 18 October.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's China audit will engage with Hong Kong BNO status holders that live in the UK.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Work on the audit is underway and will involve consultation with a range of experts within and beyond government.

The audit will examine the UK's interests with respect to China. This will improve our ability - both inside and outside of Government - to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The audit is due to report in early 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department has provided to British citizens from Hong Kong living in the UK who have had bounties placed on their heads by the Chinese government.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is the first duty of government to keep its citizens safe. Attempts to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK by foreign powers, including China, are unacceptable. The protection of individuals’ freedoms, and safety is of the upmost importance. Where individuals are identified as being of heightened risk, we are proactive in the deployment of protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate. Anyone who is concerned for their safety should contact the police in the first instance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides to UK residents threatened by agents of authoritarian regimes overseas.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The first duty of any government is to keep the country safe and protect its citizens. The UK does not tolerate attempts by any state to threaten or intimidate UK residents. We continually assess potential risks and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. This involves taking a proactive approach to countering the most acute forms of state-directed threats to individuals.

We will continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

Home Office officials work closely with operational partners, the FCDO and other government departments to ensure that UK residents are safe and secure. Where individuals have concerns for their safety, they are advised to contact their local police in the first instance.

Found: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Aphra Brandreth; Richard Foord; Claire Hazelgrove; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall

Found: We covered a huge amount of ground, but there were some questions my colleague Blair McDougall did not

Found: Thornberry (Chair); Aphra Brandreth; Dan Carden; Richard Foord; Claire Hazelgrove; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall

Found: Thornberry (Chair); Aphra Brandreth; Dan Carden; Richard Foord; Claire Hazelgrove; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall

Found: Thornberry (Chair); Aphra Brandreth; Dan Carden; Richard Foord; Claire Hazelgrove; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall

Submit Evidence (by 31 Dec 2024)

The inquiry will ask how the UK and its allies can help to achieve a ceasefire and lasting end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon.