Asked by: Emily Darlington (Labour - Milton Keynes Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will implement Magnitsky-style sanctions against the Hong Kong officials responsible for the sentencing of 69-year-old Kwok Yin-sang, father of exiled activist Anna Kwok with BN(O) status; and what steps she is taking to help tackle 'guilt by blood' tactics as a tool of repression against Hong Kongers.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.
We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.
It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.
Asked by: Emily Darlington (Labour - Milton Keynes Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect the families of British National (Overseas) status holders from judicial harassment in Hong Kong; and what guarantees of safety the Government is providing to activists with BN(O) status like Anna Kwok whose families are being targeted as political hostages.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.
We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.
It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.
Asked by: Emily Darlington (Labour - Milton Keynes Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will issue a formal condemnation of the eight-month prison sentence handed to Kwok Yin-sang, father of BN(O) status holder Anna Kwok; and if she will coordinate a joint demarche with likeminded governments to demand his immediate and unconditional release.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Security Law has stifled opposition and criminalised dissent in Hong Kong. We have called for it to be repealed, and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.
We will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK, and we are committed to protecting the safety of the Hong Kong community who have made their home here. We continue to raise these concerns directly with the Chinese authorities, and the Government has strengthened the legal and operational tools needed to deter, detect and disrupt modern state threats.
It is the UK's long-standing policy not to comment on potential sanctions designations, as to do so would risk undermining their impact.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her US counterpart on the statement issued by the United Nations’ Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 8 December 2025 on the ratification of the UK-Mauritius agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are in constant discussion with their US counterparts across a wide range of issues.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what documents relating to the proposed UK-EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar the Government intends to publish alongside the treaty text, including (a) explanatory memoranda, (b) impact assessments, (c) draft implementing legislation and (d) any administrative arrangements referenced in the Agreement.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 26 February, and to my answers to the questions raised in response to that statement.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has obtained legal advice on the implications of the proposed UK-EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar for (a) sovereignty, (b) jurisdiction and (c) the exercise of enforcement powers on Gibraltar territory; and whether that advice, or a summary of it, will be published.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 26 February, and to my answers to the questions raised in response to that statement.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the UK-EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar will be laid before Parliament under the provisions of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010; and whether the Government intends to allow a scrutiny period longer than the statutory 21 sitting days.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 26 February, and to my answers to the questions raised in response to that statement.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government intends to provisionally apply any provisions of the proposed UK-EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar from 10 April 2026 in connection with the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES).
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made to the House on 26 February, and to my answers to the questions raised in response to that statement.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any amendments to the 1966 Exchange of Notes between the UK and the USA in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory will be subject to parliamentary approval under Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Once an updated agreement with the US has been finalised, we will set out the process for bringing that agreement into force, according to the appropriate procedures.
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, if she will set out the timeline for publishing the spending allocations for Official Development Assistance up to 2028/29; and what steps she is taking to ensure funding for humanitarian programmes is protected.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 28 January to Question 107281.