Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent work has been undertaken by the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle transnational repression.

The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe, and we are committed to responding to foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated.

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK's existing response to transnational repression to ensure it is robust and joined across Government and law enforcement. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.