Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the (a) security incident at the Indian High Commission on 19 March 2023 and (b) response of the police to that incident.

The right to gather lawfully and demonstrate a point of view is a basic democratic right. But rights to lawful protest do not extend to violent or threatening behaviour. The criminal damage and assaults on staff from the India High Commission at the incident over the weekend was unacceptable. The police have powers to deal with such acts. However, the use of these powers is an operational matter for the police, and decisions on possible criminal proceedings will be made in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service.

The UK takes its Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations security obligations seriously. Our protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. However, it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on diplomatic security arrangements. To do so could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals and locations concerned.