Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to encourage the Japanese government to formally acknowledge and apologise for the sinking of the SS Tilawa in 1942.

The sinking of the S.S. Tilawa was an appalling tragedy which continues to resonate eight decades on. Our thoughts remain with all the families who lost loved ones on that day, and the Government supports their efforts to commemorate the tragedy, including on the 84th anniversary later this year.

Decisions on Japanese diplomatic representation are a matter for the Government of Japan, which has apologised several times for its wartime actions in recent decades. Over that time, the UK and Japan have worked hard to promote our shared values, including respect for human rights and the rule of law, and the mutual pursuit of peace and prosperity, and we will continue working with Japan to those ends in the years to come.