Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on the hunger strike of Bapu Surat Singh in Panjaab, India; and if he will make a statement.

We are aware of the case involving the hunger strike of Bapu Surat Singh in India and continue to monitor the situation. With regards to prisoners who have served their sentence, the British High Commission in India have discussed with the Indian authorities the preliminary release of prisoners serving life sentences. However, we understand that the Supreme Court has suspended indefinitely the premature release of life prisoners by State Governments.