Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the amendment by the authorities in Hong Kong to its extradition law to allow criminals to be extradited from Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China; and whether this amendment is compliant with the rights protected in the Sino-British Joint Declaration ratified in 1985.

We are aware of the Hong Kong Government's proposals to change extradition legislation and are following the matter closely. A public consultation on the proposals will end next month. It would not be appropriate to comment as the proposal goes through the legislative process.

It remains the British Government's view that, for Hong Kong's future success, it is essential that Hong Kong enjoys, and is seen to enjoy, the full measure of its high degree of autonomy and rule of law as set out in the Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law, in keeping with the commitment to "One Country, Two Systems".