Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made in the last 12 months to the government of the People's Republic of China on organ harvesting practices in that country.

We are aware that organs removed from executed prisoners are used for human transplantation purposes in China. Chinese law requires that prisoners give prior consent for their organs to be used in this way.

In March 2012, the Chinese government announced plans to phase out the use of organs from executed prisoners for transplant and to create a national organ donation system. We continue to encourage China to make further progress in this respect, including by sharing best practice.

We most recently raised allegations of forced organ removal and the treatment of detainees in China at the UK China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014. We also highlight our concerns publicly in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy (www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk).