Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for (a) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and (b) Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on taking steps to protect and support (i) people from Hong Kong and (ii) Uighur Muslims from surveillance and oppression within the UK.

The Government regularly assesses potential threats to the UK, and takes the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. As you would expect, Home Office officials work closely with the FCDO and DLUHC as well as other government departments to ensure that the UK is a safe and welcoming place for people who choose to settle here.

As I stated to the House on 1 November, I have asked officials to step up the work to ensure that our approach to transnational repression is robust, and I have asked our Department to review our approach to transnational repression as a matter of urgency. This will include how we work with other Departments including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure that communities feel safe and supported. I will provide an update on that work to the House in due course.