Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will issue guidance to UK-based Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) trustees on the use of British National (Overseas) passports by Hong Kongers as documentation to secure the early withdrawal of their retirement savings after permanently departing from Hong Kong.

This Government is deeply committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK.

We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route are having difficulties in drawing down early their pensions held in the Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF).

Whilst documentary requirements for withdrawing funds early are a matter for the Hong Kong authorities, the Government has raised this issue directly with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong MPF Schemes Authority. We have urged them to facilitate early draw down of funds as is the case for other Hong Kong residents who move overseas permanently and have made clear such discrimination of BN(O)s is unacceptable.