Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the decision in December 2019 of the panel of international experts to stand aside from the Independent Police Complaints Council investigation into allegations of police brutality in response to the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, and (2) the implications of that decision on the objectivity of the investigation.

We continue to call for a robust, credible and independent investigation into events in Hong Kong. We note the decision of the independent panel of international experts to step down from the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) investigation. The IPCC’s report has not yet been published. However, as we have made clear repeatedly, any inquiry must be impartial, credible, and transparent. That is the only way to rebuild trust and help to resolve the current tensions.