Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he raised the detention of British citizen Jimmy Lai with the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China on 23 July 2026.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case continues to be a priority for this government. The Foreign Secretary discussed a range of bilateral and international issues with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 23 July, including Mr Lai's ongoing imprisonment. Direct engagement matters because it allows us to raise issues of the utmost importance to the UK and push for progress.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of the People’s Republic of China regarding the release of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case continues to be a priority for this government. The Foreign Secretary discussed a range of bilateral and international issues with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 23 July, including Mr Lai's ongoing imprisonment. Direct engagement matters because it allows us to raise issues of the utmost importance to the UK and push for progress.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he had with the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the case of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case continues to be a priority for this government. The Foreign Secretary discussed a range of bilateral and international issues with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 23 July, including Mr Lai's ongoing imprisonment. Direct engagement matters because it allows us to raise issues of the utmost importance to the UK and push for progress.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the case of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Jimmy Lai's case continues to be a priority for this government. The Foreign Secretary discussed a range of bilateral and international issues with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 23 July, including Mr Lai's ongoing imprisonment. Direct engagement matters because it allows us to raise issues of the utmost importance to the UK and push for progress.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he had with the Chinese Foreign Minister on economic and trade issues during their meeting in July.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 23 July, the Foreign Secretary met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed a range of global security issues which have implications for the UK's economic prosperity, including Russia's illegal war against Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. This included the need for stability in global trade routes, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of freedom of navigation without tolls or charges. We are taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to economic relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment His Majesty’s Government has made of the findings relating to Joshua Wong in its latest Six-Monthly Report on Hong Kong.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to monitor the case of Joshua Wong and report key developments in our six-monthly reports on Hong Kong. The most recent report outlined recent developments in Joshua Wong's case. Following Mr Wong's rearrest in June 2025, the then-Minister for the Indo-Pacific publicly expressed deep concerns and reiterated the UK's call for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the UK Health Security Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate on the potential merits of for further research into inhalation and dermal exposure associated with domestic water supply arrangements.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) commissioned research in 2010 on the dermal and inhalation toxicity of regulated trihalomethanes (THM), which are byproducts of drinking water disinfection. The review found that even in "extreme exposure scenarios" it was unlikely that dermal contact or inhalation would cause adverse health effects.
Defra continues to monitor emerging scientific evidence and works with expert bodies including the UK Committee on Toxicity and the World Health Organization to ensure that drinking water standards remain protective of public health.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of additional independent research into potential inhalation and dermal exposure associated with domestic water supply arrangements.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) commissioned research in 2010 on the dermal and inhalation toxicity of regulated trihalomethanes (THM), which are byproducts of drinking water disinfection. The review found that even in "extreme exposure scenarios" it was unlikely that dermal contact or inhalation would cause adverse health effects.
Defra continues to monitor emerging scientific evidence and works with expert bodies including the UK Committee on Toxicity and the World Health Organization to ensure that drinking water standards remain protective of public health.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has commissioned an assessment by a public body of potential inhalation and dermal exposure arising from domestic water supply arrangements.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) commissioned research in 2010 on the dermal and inhalation toxicity of regulated trihalomethanes (THM), which are byproducts of drinking water disinfection. The review found that even in "extreme exposure scenarios" it was unlikely that dermal contact or inhalation would cause adverse health effects.
Defra continues to monitor emerging scientific evidence and works with expert bodies including the UK Committee on Toxicity and the World Health Organization to ensure that drinking water standards remain protective of public health.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations His Majesty’s Government has made to the Hong Kong authorities regarding the case of Joshua Wong.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to monitor the case of Joshua Wong and report key developments in our six-monthly reports on Hong Kong. The most recent report outlined recent developments in Joshua Wong's case. Following Mr Wong's rearrest in June 2025, the then-Minister for the Indo-Pacific publicly expressed deep concerns and reiterated the UK's call for the National Security Law to be repealed and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.