Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to place China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to my response given to question 36632.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release of 15 May 2025 entitled Media law reforms to boost press sustainability and protect independence, whether a company (a) wholly owned by and (b) under the majority control of the Chinese government would be permitted to buy a stake of up to 15 per cent in a UK newspaper.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The new foreign state intervention (FSI) regime, set out in the Entreprise Act 2002, seeks to preserve the freedom of the press. It applies to all foreign powers that may seek to acquire control or influence a UK newspaper or news periodical and will be applied case by case based on the facts presented.
Our assessment on the potential impact of foreign states investing in UK Newspapers can be found in my Written Statement Ministerial of 15 May 2025 - Official Report Vol 767 Col 17WS.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the partial ownership of UK newspapers by foreign governments on (a) democracy and (b) national security in the UK.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The new foreign state intervention (FSI) regime, set out in the Entreprise Act 2002, seeks to preserve the freedom of the press. It applies to all foreign powers that may seek to acquire control or influence a UK newspaper or news periodical and will be applied case by case based on the facts presented.
Our assessment on the potential impact of foreign states investing in UK Newspapers can be found in my Written Statement Ministerial of 15 May 2025 - Official Report Vol 767 Col 17WS.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding English-language BBC World Service (a) content through the licence fee and (b) language services through direct Government grant-in-aid.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The World Service English service is part funded by BBC Licence Fee and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Grant-in-Aid. Any changes to that funding model will be explored through the Charter Review process, led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Ahead of this the Government will keep an open mind about the future of the licence fee and how the World Service is funded. The Charter Review is the right moment to look at potential future World Service funding mechanisms for the longer-term.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to increase Parliamentary oversight of the BBC World Service.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office holds the BBC World Service to account through published Objectives, Priorities and Targets which include targets for reach, quality, impact and value. In addition, there are regular meetings - quarterly, annual and ad hoc between the Foreign Secretary, Ministers, BBC Seniors and officials to monitor performance. The forthcoming Charter Review, led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), will provide an essential opportunity for the Government to consider a range of issues relating to the BBC, including how the BBC is accountable to those who fund it.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much of the £290 million FCDO transformation fund announced in the National Security Strategy will be directed towards countering potential threats posed by China.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
National Security is the first duty of government. As the National Security Strategy said on China, we will increase our China capabilities across the national security system to strengthen our ability to engage, as well as to enhance our resilience and readiness.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received representations from representatives of Pacific Island nations on the prohibition of Kava in the UK.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK prohibition is raised occasionally with our High Commissioners in the Pacific and by some Pacific Island High Commissions in London.
In each case, we remind our Pacific partners about the evidence and procedures that are required to review the ban.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with which organisations he has held discussions on the development of the China Audit.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office China Audit team proactively engaged a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that the full range of interests arising from the UK's relationship with China was represented; this included Parliament, business, the academic sector, civil society and the devolved governments.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on freedom of religion or belief of (a) reports of the escalation of violence against Hindu communities in Bangladesh since August 2024 and (b) the response of the interim government.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. We support the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and their report on the violations that occurred in Bangladesh in July and August 2024. In October 2024, we were pleased to see the establishment of a special policing unit by the Interim Government in the lead up to Durga Puja to protect Hindu worship sites.
In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities with Chief Adviser Yunus and UK Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders visited Bangladesh in February. The UK-funded £27 million Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme is contributing to protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief. Through this programme, the Hunger project has organised a range of initiatives to foster inter-ethnic and religious peace. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government on ensuring minority voices are meaningfully included in the reform process and that these communities feel both protected and represented.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered secondary sanctions on UK-based financial institutions that continue to (a) underwrite, (b) trade and (c) market securities issued by Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps subsidiaries listed in Hong Kong.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In March 2021, the UK, along with international partners, imposed sanctions relating to human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including sanctions against Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. 'Secondary sanctions' can be understood in different ways. UK sanctions apply and are enforced only in relation to UK nationals and entities (wherever they are in the world) and to any activity in the UK or its territorial sea. Consistent with this approach, and across diverse contexts, we continue to keep any potential future sanctions under review.