Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 35700 on Tower of London, whether the Government has had discussions with UNESCO on the potential impact of the planning application for a new Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint on the Tower of London World Heritage site.

On 25 February 2025, DCMS submitted a ‘paragraph 172 notification’ letter to the World Heritage Centre that included updated information on a range of developments relating to the Tower of London World Heritage Site.

The letter included an update on the planning process for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court, noting that Historic England does not disagree with the conclusions of the Heritage Impact Assessment that any impacts on the Tower of London World Heritage Site from the proposed development would be minimal.

As the Heritage Impact Assessment has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and since the Public Inquiry has closed, DCMS as State Party has not requested further specific advice from ICOMOS (the advisors to UNESCO).