Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to secure the release of Zhang Yadi; and what steps she is taking to co-ordinate her actions with (a) her French counterpart and (b) SOAS.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is aware of a report concerning the detention of Zhang Yadi, and the case concerning Gui Minhai in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to secure the release of Gui Minhai in China; and what steps she is taking with (a) Sweden and (b) the European Union to secure his release.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is aware of a report concerning the detention of Zhang Yadi, and the case concerning Gui Minhai in China. We continue to follow developments closely and regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the level of threat posed by people motivated by Jihadi ideology to (a) public safety and (b) the safety of (i) synagogues, (ii) Jewish educational establishments and (iii) other Jewish community sites; what assessment she has made of the trends in the level of this threat over the last five years; and what recent assessment she has made of whether levels of security provided to (A) synagogues, (B) Jewish educational establishments and (C) other Jewish community sites is adequate to respond to levels of threat.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The terrorist threat we see today is more diverse and complex than before. The UK National Threat Level remains at SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely. The UK National Threat Level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre which continually monitors the threat to the UK from all forms of terrorism.

This Government is firmly committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to ensuring the safety of our streets and communities. We recognise that recent incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of Jewish communities and places of worship, as well as those of other faiths. We take these concerns seriously and continue to work with closely with the police to assess threats and review the protections in place for communities.

To support Jewish communities in the UK, the Community Security Trust (CST) has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant. This includes an additional £10 million in emergency funding announced by the Prime Minister on 16 October following the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. This funding enables the deployment of enhanced security staff and equipment, such as CCTV, alarms and floodlights, at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments, and other community sites.

We continue to engage with CST and other partners to ensure that the level of security provision remains proportionate to the assessed threat and is responsive to the needs of Jewish communities.