Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government recognises Milorad Dodik as the President of the Repulika Srpska Entity following the upholding of his prison sentence and ban on holding office.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK does not recognise Milorad Dodik as the current President of the Republika Srpska Entity. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has upheld the decision of the Central Election Commission to remove Dodik's mandate, following his conviction, and this decision is final. The UK remains committed to the sovereignty, stability, constitutional order and fully supports local institutions in upholding the rule of law in BiH. Our Ambassador in BiH has made this clear in public statements. We call on all actors to respect the decisions of judicial authorities in BiH.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has raised Chinese claims on the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh with his counterparts in the Chinese Government.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's position is that it is for relevant parties to resolve border disputes bilaterally. We support all peaceful means to do so and oppose any attempts to use or threaten the use of force to change the status quo. The UK Government welcomes recent discussions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and agreements to deescalate tensions. We continue to support a peaceful resolution between India and China on the border question.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government accepts the Chinese Communist Party's claim to be able to appoint the next Dalai Lama as legitimate.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in the UK and abroad, working to uphold the right to FoRB through the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, on July 2 the UK convened an event in Geneva to reaffirm the right to FoRB for all, including Tibetan Buddhists and the right to choose their own religious leaders.
The UK views the Dalai Lama as a respected spiritual leader and strong human rights advocate. It is our longstanding position that the appointment of the next Dalai Lama is a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community across the world, in line with FoRB.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will provide the Intelligence and Security Committee with intelligence assessments conducted as part of his Department’s China audit.
Answered by Catherine West
The Foreign Secretary has invited the Intelligence and Security Committee to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to receive a briefing from his senior officials on the China Audit.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the case of Ahmed al-Doush.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are providing consular support to Mr Al-Doush and his family and are in contact with the Saudi Arabian authorities. I met the family on 8 July 2025 to discuss the case.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Members of Parliament will be given the opportunity to read the China Audit in a secure location.
Answered by Catherine West
There are mechanisms in place for certain parliamentarians to have access to classified Government material. The Government will not be releasing the full details of the findings of the Audit as it was conducted at a higher security classification.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the China Audit recommended placing China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answered by Catherine West
The Audit examined the full range of considerations in our relationship with China, including National Security. We keep all designations on the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme Enhanced Tier under review.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has (a) accepted and (b) implemented all recommendations from the China Audit.
Answered by Catherine West
The Government will take forward work to deliver each of the actions recommended by the China Audit. These will be delivered as part of the Government's broader strategic approach to China.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the China Audit made an assessment of the proposal for a new Chinese Embassy.
Answered by Catherine West
No. The determination of the Chinese planning application is an independent process. The decision will be made by Ministers in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in their quasi-judicial capacity.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the (a) arrest of the father of Anna Kwok and (b) additional charges laid against Joshua Wong.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK is closely monitoring the prosecution of Kwok Yin-sang, father of US-based Anna Kwok, and is deeply concerned by the news of further charges against Joshua Wong who is currently detained in Hong Kong. China's imposition of the National Security Law has significantly eroded the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongers, a situation that has worsened with the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. We call on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law and end the prosecution of all individuals charged under it.