Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has provided consular assistance to the British human rights campaigner Andy Hall, who has been sentenced for defamation in Thailand.

Mr Hall has not recently requested consular assistance. However, we have been active in supporting him in relation to his work promoting human rights. Embassy staff have attended trial hearings and raised his case with the Thai authorities. We shall continue this work, and stand ready to provide consular assistance should he require it.

The British Government supports the right of human rights defenders to carry out their work without fear of harassment or reprisals. We also support full implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.