Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security's oral contribution of 3 December 2024, Official Report, column 174, whether his Department has conducted any independent visits to Xinjiang to investigate human rights abuses since 5 July.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, including by conducting independent visits to areas of major concern wherever possible, and supporting reputable NGOs in exposing and reacting to human rights violations.