Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 3 September 2019 to Question 281598 on Organs, what steps the Government plans to take in response to reports of (a) the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners and (b) abuses taking place within China’s transplant system.

There is credible evidence that Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to serious mistreatment. We regularly raise concerns with China on the treatment of religious and ethnic minorities, and continue to monitor evidence surrounding abuses taking place within China’s transplant system.

On 26 September during an Urgent Question on Hong Kong, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK’s position on the persecution of religious groups in China, including Falun Gong practitioners, on the grounds of religion or belief. As the Foreign Secretary stated in the House, we are concerned that Chinese Government guidelines on unapproved religious activity, education and travel may restrict the peaceful observation of those rights. Further, at the 41^st session of the UN Human Rights Council in July 2019, we raised our concerns about freedom of religion or belief in our ‘Item 4’ national statement.