Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on the UK's defence position in the Indo-Pacific region of the Australian national defence strategy.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I welcome the recent release of Australia’s inaugural National Defence Strategy. The United Kingdom and Australia consult closely on our respective defence and security strategies and the themes and challenges identified in the National Defence Strategy have clear parallels in the refreshed Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper. Both countries’ strategies prioritise cooperation with partners, particularly in the Indo Pacific, to strengthen collective security.
The UK has delivered on its ambition for a tilt to the Indo-Pacific and is now putting our approach on a long-term strategic footing, working with Australia and others. The UK and Australia also both recognise that the security and prosperity of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are inseparable. We continue to work closely with Australia to defend global rules and norms.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the visit by the Minister for the Indo-Pacific to Hong Kong on relations with China.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In line with the Government's "protect, align, and engage" approach to China, as set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, the I raised a number of issues important to the UK national interest with Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui during my visit to Hong Kong in April. This included the prosecution of British national Jimmy Lai, the enactment of further national security legislation (Article 23), and concerns over transnational repression against BN(O)s in the UK. Issues of mutual and global interest were also discussed, alongside areas of disagreement or concern.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Australian national defence strategy on the UK's cooperation with (a) Australia (b) other partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Australia are close partners and we welcome Australia's inaugural National Defence Strategy. As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, the UK is committed to and strategically focussed on the Indo-Pacific. Our partnership with Australia is an important part of this, and we regularly discuss Indo-Pacific collaboration at senior official and ministerial levels, including at the recent Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) in Adelaide in March. We work closely with Australia as members of the Commonwealth, Five Eyes, the G20 and the UN, and we regularly discuss defence matters.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take action following reported cases of self-immolation and suicide among Tibetan Monks protesting against the government of China; and in particular whether they have made representations to that government, including in relation to the death of monk Tenzin Dorjee.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government consistently raises human rights issues with the Chinese authorities, including in relation to Tibet. The Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific raised human rights during her visit to China in April, and the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting in February with China's Foreign Minister. We also regularly raise concerns about China's actions in Tibet in multilateral fora, for example, in January at China's Universal Periodic Review, and in March as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific will declare the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill in Hong Kong to be a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration following its first application in the case of Ma Chun-man in March 2024.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following a series of breaches of the Sino-British Joint Declaration by China, including the imposition of the 2020 National Security Law (NSL) under which Ma Chun Man was originally prosecuted, the then Foreign Secretary declared China to be in continuous breach of the Joint Declaration. That view has not changed. The Foreign Secretary called for the NSL to be repealed and an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it on 17 December. The new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was enacted by the Hong Kong government under Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law. As The Foreign Secretary said on 19 March, its overall impact will be to further damage the rights and freedoms enjoyed in the city. It undermines Hong Kong's implementation of binding international obligations including the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We are monitoring its implementation closely, including its swift application in this case.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific raised human rights concerns relating to the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill and the 2020 National Security Law while meeting the (a) Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and (b) Treasury Christopher Hui in Hong Kong.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 24 April I met with Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui during my six-day visit to China and Hong Kong. I raised concerns over the deterioration of rights and freedoms in the city precipitated by the 2020 National Security Law and the recent passage of legislation under Article 23. We will continue to raise areas of disagreement or concern, including human rights in Hong Kong with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the extent to which Canada's critical minerals capacity is a factor in its inclusion of a potential expansion of Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As the AUKUS Defence Ministers announced earlier this month, in identifying collaboration opportunities for AUKUS nations to work with other states on advanced capability projects under Pillar 2, we will take into account factors such as technological innovation, financing, industrial strengths, ability to adequately protect sensitive data and information, and impact on promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Minister for Asia raised the trial and detention of Jimmy Lai with (a) Chinese and (b) Hong Kong officials during her recent visit.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister for the Indo-Pacific raised Jimmy Lai's case with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deng Li in Beijing and in Hong Kong with Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Christopher Hui during her visit to China and Hong Kong in April. Further details are available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-minister-for-indo-pacifics-key-meetings-in-mainland-china-and-hong-kong-sar-april-2024.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking to strengthen partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I, and Ministers across Government, are continually engaging with countries in the region to strengthen our partnerships in line with the Integrated Review Refresh. Our approach has achieved significant success, most recently we signed a strategic partnership roadmap with Thailand, becoming the first European country to do so.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what overseas events UK Defence and Security Exports has supported in each year since 2019.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
2019 (22 overseas events)
2020 (5 overseas events attended others cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic)
2021 (6 overseas events attended, others cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic and Hurricane in USA)
2022 (9 overseas events supported, others cancelled for Covid-19 and Ukraine-related issues)
2023 (12 overseas events)
2024 (16 events planned, 4 delivered to date)