Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Collins of Highbury on 30 October (HL Deb col 1116), whether they plan to make Jimmy Lai’s release from prison in Hong Kong and his safe passage to the UK a precondition of any resumption of investment talks with the authorities in Hong Kong.

Jimmy Lai's case remains a priority for the Government. We continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai and immediately release Mr Lai. In a recent visit to Beijing, the Foreign Secretary met with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing and called for Mr Lai's release.

This government seeks to engage with Hong Kong authorities to pursue UK interests, while defending the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. We will support UK business to engage with China, including Hong Kong, while being open-eyed to any risks and ensuring security and resilience.