Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the preliminary findings of the Independent Tribunal Into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners Of Conscience in China on allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners in China.

We are aware of reports that allege that a process of involuntary organ removal may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted. The British Government fully supports the Declaration of Istanbul (May 2008), which encourages all countries to draw up legal and professional frameworks to govern organ donation and transplantation activities.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.

We will continue to review available evidence on this issue, including the preliminary findings of the Independent Tribunal Into Forced Organ Harvesting.