Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly as an observer; and whether his Department has encouraged Taiwan to participate in technical meetings of the World Health Organisation.

The Department continues to support the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on this topic. The Government is working with likeminded countries to lobby the World Health Organization (WHO) at official level to issue an invitation to Taiwan to observe the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.

The United Kingdom continues to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite and where Taiwan can make a valuable contribution. The UK believes the WHA and related technical meetings of the WHO meet these criteria.