Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the validity of the Hong Kong Bar Association’s statement that the co-location Bill on law enforcement at West Kowloon station irreparably breaches Hong Kong's Basic Law.

As set out in the Foreign Secretary’s most recent six-monthly report to Parliament, which was published on 15 March, the British Government understands the concerns that have been raised by the Hong Kong Bar Association and others about the legal base for the proposal for co-location and its impact on ‘One Country, Two Systems’. The six-monthly report also notes that while the economic case for the High Speed Rail Link is clear, it is important that the final arrangements for a joint border checkpoint on the territory of the Special Administrative Region are consistent with the principles of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and with Hong Kong’s Basic Law. Following the recent passage of the Co-location Bill in the Legislative Council, we will continue to monitor developments closely.