Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate on Transnational repression as a growing threat to the rule of law and human rights at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 23 June 2023.

Foreign powers reaching across national borders to silence political dissent is unacceptable, and we are steadfastly committed to defending the rule of law and protecting individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK.

We will carefully consider the recommendations made by the Parliamentary Assembly. We continually assess potential threats to the UK and use a range of tools and measures to counter them, in co-ordination with partners. The Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference, and is reviewing the UK's approach to transnational repression.