Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports that nine suspects arrested under the National Security Act 2023 in relation to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office trial were released because law enforcement agencies lacked sufficient translation capabilities to translate evidential material.

While it would not be appropriate to comment on decisions on whether or not to charge individuals in specific cases. Counter Terrorism Policing continues to maintain the technological tools and translation capabilities necessary to meet legislative and evidential requirements.

CTP are strengthening this capacity, including through the development and deployment of enhanced technical solutions and by increasing the number of suitably cleared translators.