To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


View sample alert

Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Diplomatic Service
Friday 19th April 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many requests for consular support were made to each British Embassy or Consulate in 2023; and how many of those were responded to by officials within a period of 24 hours.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our consular staff endeavour to give appropriate and tailored assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK who need support. In 2023, in addition to long running cases, we provided support to around 22,000 British nationals, see breakdown by Post in the table below. The FCDO reports publicly on consular delivery through the FCDO Outcome Delivery Plan [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-commonwealth-development-office-outcome-delivery-plan]. Publishing our transparency data is currently on hold while we embed a new Case Management system.

COUNTRY

2023

Afghanistan

22

Albania

63

Algeria

23

Angola

Argentina

34

Armenia

8

Australia

414

Austria

92

Azerbaijan

12

Bahrain

48

Barbados

113

Belarus

6

Belgium

152

Bolivia

12

Bosnia and Herzegovina

12

Botswana

15

Brazil

88

Bulgaria

166

Cambodia

112

Cameroon

30

Canada

181

Chile

21

China

143

Colombia

73

Congo (Democratic Republic)

22

Costa Rica

39

Croatia

114

Cuba

29

Cyprus

441

Czechia

141

Denmark

88

Dominican Republic

67

Ecuador

13

Egypt

383

Estonia

19

Ethiopia

104

Fiji

21

Finland

49

France

1027

Georgia

27

Germany

662

Ghana

85

Greece

936

Guatemala

43

Guinea

Guyana

17

Hong Kong SAR

110

Hungary

131

Iceland

17

India

360

Indonesia

196

Iraq

46

Ireland

104

Israel

39

Italy

411

Ivory Coast

Jamaica

179

Japan

167

Jerusalem

61

Jordan

71

Kazakhstan

14

Kenya

146

Kuwait

30

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

29

Latvia

20

Lebanon

34

Liberia

Lithuania

23

Luxembourg

10

Madagascar

Malawi

Malaysia

138

Malta

106

Mauritius

14

Mexico

207

Moldova

13

Mongolia

6

Montenegro

33

Morocco

222

Myanmar (Burma)

8

Namibia

9

Nepal

21

Netherlands

287

New Zealand

127

Nigeria

74

Norway

149

Oman

50

Pakistan

376

Panama

17

Paraguay

Peru

58

Philippines

283

Poland

242

Portugal

524

Qatar

96

Romania

89

Russia

28

Rwanda

7

Saudi Arabia

166

Senegal

21

Serbia

29

Seychelles

11

Sierra Leone

15

Singapore

105

Slovakia

38

Slovenia

17

South Africa

195

South Korea

40

Spain

4143

Sri Lanka

86

St Lucia

21

Sudan

34

Sweden

110

Switzerland

157

Taiwan

22

Tajikistan

6

Tanzania

36

Thailand

1383

The Gambia

48

Trinidad and Tobago

40

Tunisia

75

Turkey

947

Uganda

52

Ukraine

56

United Arab Emirates

658

United States

1649

Uruguay

10

Uzbekistan

8

Venezuela

Vietnam

188

Zambia

22

Zimbabwe

26

NB We do not publish data where figures are 5 or below to comply with GDPR


Non-Departmental Publication (News and Communications)
Competition and Markets Authority

Apr. 18 2024

Source Page: The CMA at 10: Past reflections and a look ahead to the next decade of promoting competition and protecting consumers
Document: UK’s open banking regime has also been called ‘the envy of the European FinTech community’ (PDF)

Found: So far, these bridges have been established in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea


Departmental Publication (News and Communications)
Cabinet Office

Apr. 18 2024

Source Page: Deputy Prime Minister's speech on economic security
Document: Deputy Prime Minister's speech on economic security (webpage)

Found: s illegal invasion of Ukraine… …meanwhile, China’s aggression in Xinjiang, the South China Sea, and Hong


Parliamentary Research
The Horn of Africa and the Red Sea - CBP-10000
Apr. 18 2024

Found: The deal will allow Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group to build a launch site for satellites and


Written Question
Hong Kong: British National (Overseas)
Thursday 18th April 2024

Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the safety of British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Under an exchange of Memoranda to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passport holders are eligible for consular assistance in third countries, but not in Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China. Where we have humanitarian or human rights concerns about the treatment of BN(O) passport holders in Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China, we can lobby the relevant authorities, raise issues in international fora and demonstrate our political support. For example, on 8 March, we raised the alleged treatment of Andy Li at the UN Human Rights Council. Our diplomats in Hong Kong regularly attend court to observe a number of national security cases, including for Jimmy Lai's, the NSL 47 and others. On 16 February, the Foreign Secretary raised prosecutions under the National Security Law with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference.


Written Question
Hong Kong: Civil Liberties
Thursday 18th April 2024

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the (a) Prime Minister and (b) Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has raised the impact of Article 23 of the Basic Law on Hong Kong's (i) autonomy and (ii) civil liberties with his Chinese counterpart.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary made a second statement on Hong Kong's new national security law (Article 23) on 19 March, in which he made clear our view that it will further damage the rights and freedoms enjoyed in the city. He stated that we expect the Hong Kong authorities to respect the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Basic Law, uphold its high degree of autonomy and act in accordance with its international commitments and legal obligations. We continue to raise our firm objection to the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong at the highest levels of government. The Prime Minister raised Hong Kong with Premier Li Qiang on 20 September at the G20 and the Foreign Secretary last raised Hong Kong with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 16 February at the Munich Security Conference.


Written Question
Hong Kong: British National (Overseas)
Thursday 18th April 2024

Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic support his Department provides to British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Under an exchange of Memoranda to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passport holders are eligible for consular assistance in third countries, but not in Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China. Where we have humanitarian or human rights concerns about the treatment of BN(O) passport holders in Hong Kong, Macao or mainland China, we can lobby the relevant authorities, raise issues in international fora and demonstrate our political support. For example, on 8 March, we raised the alleged treatment of Andy Li at the UN Human Rights Council. Our diplomats in Hong Kong regularly attend court to observe a number of national security cases, including for Jimmy Lai's, the NSL 47 and others. On 16 February, the Foreign Secretary raised prosecutions under the National Security Law with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference.


Departmental Publication (Guidance and Regulation)
Home Office

Apr. 17 2024

Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 11 March 2024 to 3 April 2024
Document: Immigration Rules archive: 11 March 2024 to 3 April 2024 (PDF)

Found: available); or • Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa Other applicants Hong Kong British


Select Committee
Letter from Lord Bellamy KC, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, dated 9 April 2024 relating to the Consultation on reforming the law of apologies in civil proceedings in England and Wales

Correspondence Apr. 16 2024

Committee: Justice Committee (Department: Ministry of Justice)

Found: The Government is not minded, however, to adopt the approach taken in Hong Kong, set out in detail below


Select Committee
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and International Crisis Group

Oral Evidence Apr. 16 2024

Inquiry: International relations within the multilateral system
Inquiry Status: Closed
Committee: Foreign Affairs Committee (Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)

Found: They see China on the Human Rights Council, despite abuses in Xinjiang and against those in Hong