Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what are (1) the sources, and (2) the amounts, of funding received by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in the latest financial year for which figures are available; what steps they plan to take to ensure that funding is made available through that Foundation to promote democratic engagement in Hong Kong; what plans they to support through (1) that Foundation, and (2) other means, (a) the costs of the legal defence of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, and (b) where appropriate, the cost of their travel to seek refuge in the UK.

The Westminster Foundation for Democracy's (WFD) funding comes from a combination of grants provided by institutional donors, such as the DFID Accountable Grant, and the FCO. Details are set out in the WFD's Annual Report and Accounts, which can be found online. The UK remains fully committed to upholding Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms, including freedom of speech and assembly which are guaranteed under the Joint Declaration and 'One Country, Two Systems' framework.