Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the Croatian authorities on the case of Mr Jonathan Taylor who has been detained in that country since his arrest for alleged bribery or corruption.

We are providing ongoing support to Mr Taylor. Consular staff are in regular contact with him and continue to seek updates on his case from the Croatian courts. As set out in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, we cannot interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, or bypass their laws, just as we would not accept similar interference here. As part of our consular assistance to British nationals overseas we can raise concerns about individuals on diplomatic channels. I spoke to the Monegasque Foreign Secretary and the Croatian State Secretary for European Affairs on 13 November 2020 and sought assurances that both authorities would treat Mr Taylor fairly. On 22 April, I spoke again to the Croatian State Secretary for European Affairs who reiterated those assurances and noted the significant level of ministerial and parliamentary interest in Mr Taylor's case.