Written question asked by Andrew Western (Labour) on Thursday, 9 May 2024, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 May 2024. It was answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Conservative) on Friday, 17 May 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Jimmy Lai

Question: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether UK consular officials (a) have been granted consular access to Jimmy Lai and (b) are able to visit him in prison.

Answer: Ministers and officials continue to raise Jimmy Lai's case at the highest levels with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities and have been clear in our calls for his release, while continuing to press for consular access. Our repeated requests for consular access have been declined by the local authorities on the grounds the Chinese government does not recognise dual nationality and therefore considers Jimmy Lai to be exclusively Chinese. Consular access to dual nationals relies upon the agreement of the detaining state and is not covered in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 25599
Session: 2023-24
Subjects: Detainees British nationals abroad Diplomatic service China Hong Kong Lai, Jimmy
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk