Chinese Embassy Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Julian Smith
Main Page: Julian Smith (Conservative - Skipton and Ripon)Department Debates - View all Julian Smith's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(1 day, 13 hours ago)
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Matthew Pennycook
I am not going to comment on behalf of the security services—[Interruption.] Opposition Members are chuntering from a sedentary position, but I am not going to do that. It is not appropriate for me to comment on behalf of the security services, but as I continue to say, all material considerations will be taken into account. I am here answering the urgent question on the Chinese embassy, which is a decision for my Department and Planning Ministers within it.
Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
The Minister talks about this being a planning decision, but essentially it is a political judgment. Many right hon. and hon. Members want to make strong representations to the Government and the National Security Adviser about the judgment call on getting a closer relationship with China and this embassy. The site of the proposed embassy is massive—I went around it over the past couple of days—and Mansell Street is really restricted, meaning it will be completely impossible to monitor what is going on there, so that judgment is wrong.