Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the impact that further non-pharmaceutical interventions to limit the spread of covid-19 in China may have on the UK economy; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

The Government is mindful of both the domestic and international risks that might affect the UK economy. We monitor these risks closely, including the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in China. The Government remains committed to supporting businesses, people, and jobs.

In its December 2021 record, the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England noted that “the interim results of the 2021 Solvency Stress Test indicate that the UK banking system is resilient to the direct effects of a severe downturn in China and Hong Kong, as well as indirect effects through sharp adjustments in global asset prices”.