Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what response they have received from the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to their representations about the denial of a visa to the British journalist, Victor Mallet.

We remain very concerned by the Hong Kong authorities’ unprecedented rejection of a visa for senior British journalist Victor Mallet. In the absence of an explanation from the authorities we can only conclude that this move is politically motivated. This undermines Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. We urge the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider this decision. Confidence in Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.” We have sought an explanation for the visa refusal from the Hong Kong authorities, but we have not received one.