Written questions by Miller.

Whether her Department holds information on the number of alleged bounties placed on pro-democracy Hong Kongers living in the UK by Beijing-linked groups.

The safety and security of Hong Kongers in the UK is of the upmost importance. The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong.China’s imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong has significantly eroded the rights and freedoms of Hong Kongers. The Government has called on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law, including its extraterritorial reach.We will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted.The Hong Kong National Security Police have also issued a total of 19 arrest warrants for pro-democracy activists living overseas, with financial rewards of HK$1 million each for information leading to their arrest. All face charges of secession and foreign collusion under the 2020 National Security Law. A number of these individuals are residents in the UK.However, It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters and it would not be appropriate to comment on any specific support the police provide in individual cases. Where we identify such threats, we are front footed in deploying protective measures as appropriate.The Government has developed a range of support and security assistance mechanisms to protect individuals and communities that are at risk of transnational repression. Guidance can be found on GOV.UK providing those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online.Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated.

What assessment her Department has of the potential impact of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 12025, on the British National (Overseas) visa route.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.

Whether her Department plans to maintain the settlement criteria for British National (Overseas) visa holders.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.

With reference to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7208, what steps his Department has taken to help recruit 8,500 new mental health workers.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, we are recruiting 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services to help ease pressure on busy services.We continue to work with NHS England to consider options to deliver this commitment alongside publishing a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade. There are a wide range of factors that will affect this future growth of the NHS mental health workforce, and we will provide an update in due course.In addition, targeted retention work has been undertaken through the NHS Retention Programme which works with trusts to help them understand why staff have left. This has focused on better support for line managers and improved support for new joiners.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international allies on the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials regularly speak with likeminded partners on how to enhance international cooperation and end the practice of arbitrary arrest, detention or sentencing. The Government is committed to securing Mr El-Fattah's release and we continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government. The Prime Minister raised the case in a letter to President Sisi on 4 May. The National Security Adviser also raised Mr-El Fattah's case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty on 27 April and the Foreign Secretary raised with Foreign Minister Abdelatty on 9 April.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when officials in his Department last had contacted with their Egyptian counterparts on the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials regularly speak with likeminded partners on how to enhance international cooperation and end the practice of arbitrary arrest, detention or sentencing. The Government is committed to securing Mr El-Fattah's release and we continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government. The Prime Minister raised the case in a letter to President Sisi on 4 May. The National Security Adviser also raised Mr-El Fattah's case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty on 27 April and the Foreign Secretary raised with Foreign Minister Abdelatty on 9 April.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of illegally modified (a) cars and (b) motorcycles that produce excessive noise.

The Department for Transport takes the impact of excessive noise on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Strict noise regulations for cars and motorcycles are harmonised at an international level and require vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market. Replacement silencers that are to be used on the road must also meet strict noise limits that are aligned with those of the original vehicle. The Department published the results of roadside trials of noise camera technology last year and continues to keep a keen interest in this technology. However, it is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be within their area, based on their knowledge of the issue locally. The Department has limited means for influencing local decision making on enforcement priorities. The police have powers to deal with noisy vehicles on an ongoing basis. Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 they can take action if they suspect a vehicle is being driven in a manner that makes excessive noise which is avoidable through reasonable driver care. In the same Regulations, exhausts and silencers are required to be maintained in good working order and not modified so as to increase noise.

What recent discussions her Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the collection of data on (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries caused by cattle.

The Department of Work and Pensions has had no recent discussions with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the collection of data on fatalities and serious injuries caused by cattle.Data is collected and published by the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) that require certain work-related injuries and fatalities, including those caused by cattle to members of the public, to be reported.Guidance on reporting requirements is published by HSE on their website at https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/.Statistical data from these reports is published by HSE and is freely available to view on their website at https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/tables/index.htm.

What steps her Department has taken to prohibit the sale and use of LEDs which dazzle (a) pedestrians, (b) cyclists and (c) other drivers.

The lighting of road vehicles is regulated by the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 as amended (RVLR). It is illegal to sell unapproved LED light sources for use in modern car, truck and bus headlamps. Changes were made to the MOT manual to align with the requirements of the RVLR to ensure that modern vehicles fitted with unapproved light sources fitted will fail the MOT. Furthermore, the Government recognises the increased public concern around headlamp glare and has commissioned independent research to understand the causes. Careful consideration will be given to that work when it reports later this year to determine what future actions may be appropriate to ensure the safety of all road users.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 17 March 2025 to Question 36633 and 29 April 2025 to Question 45904 on China: Audit, for what reason the timeline for concluding the China audit has changed from spring 2025 to being in due course.

The Audit will improve the UK's ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. It will help inform the government setting out a long-term, consistent approach to our relationship with China. The timing of the audit remains determined by the need for widespread consultation both within and beyond government. Work being done by the Audit team is already proving valuable in developing policies and planning engagement.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring universities to conduct human rights due diligence checks when offering security-related courses to organisations based in countries listed as a human rights priority in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's report entitled Human Rights and Democracy Report 2022, published on 13 July 2023.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world, and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. Universities attract international engagement from across the world, and this global reach plays an important part in promoting British values, such as the rule of law and respect for human rights.Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and therefore responsible for their own policies and procedures.However, English HE providers must uphold applicable public interest governance principles, including on free speech, and we expect the sector to be alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting appropriate due diligence to comply with all legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998. The Office for Students (OfS) have introduced a further registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct, which will come into force on 1 August 2025. This condition is important in ensuring HE students are free from harassment and sexual misconduct that would otherwise adversely affect their ability to benefit from their studies.As the independent regulator, it is the role of the OfS to monitor and assess registered providers’ compliance with all its conditions of registration.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has sought advice from the Intelligence Agencies on the potential threat to the integrity of UK democracy from (a) Russia, (b) Iran, (c) China and (d) other hostile states.

It is the longstanding policy of successive UK Governments that we do not comment on operational intelligence or security matters. The UK Government is committed to defending the integrity of the UK's democracy from all state threats, including through the Defending Democracy Taskforce (DDTF). This cross-government Taskforce brings together Ministers, along with representatives from the intelligence community and law enforcement, to coordinate the Government's work to protect our democracy and call out threats, including from Russia, China, and Iran; as the Minister whose portfolio includes national security, I represent the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at the Taskforce. For example, in December 2023 and March 2024, the Government publicly attributed and sanctioned groups affiliated with Russia and China respectively for interfering in the UK's democracy. The FCDO will continue to work with the DDTF and with the intelligence community to protect the UK's democratic integrity.

Whether her Department is developing plans to require universities to develop institution-wide human rights policies and procedures.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world, and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. Universities attract international engagement from across the world, and this global reach plays an important part in promoting British values, such as the rule of law and respect for human rights.Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and therefore responsible for their own policies and procedures.However, English HE providers must uphold applicable public interest governance principles, including on free speech, and we expect the sector to be alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting appropriate due diligence to comply with all legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998. The Office for Students (OfS) have introduced a further registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct, which will come into force on 1 August 2025. This condition is important in ensuring HE students are free from harassment and sexual misconduct that would otherwise adversely affect their ability to benefit from their studies.As the independent regulator, it is the role of the OfS to monitor and assess registered providers’ compliance with all its conditions of registration.

Innovation and Technology, what plans his Department is considering to attract high quality research teams from United States' universities.

We recognise and value the US as a key partner in R&D and look forward to continuing our collaboration on shared priorities to drive economic growth and technological advancement. Both the UK and US are committed to facilitating the exchange of talent and students to enhance R&D capabilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of placing China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

No decision has been made in relation to specifying China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. As the Security Minister confirmed in Parliament on 1 April, countries are considered separately, and decisions are made based on a robust evidence base. It would not be appropriate to speculate on which countries may or may not be specified in the future, but any changes will be announced in Parliament in the usual way.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled UK Government statement on denial of UK MP to enter Hong Kong, published on 14 April 2025, if his Department will publish the minutes from the meeting between the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security and Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration as they relate to the decision to deny Wera Hobhouse MP entry to Hong Kong.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.

If his Department will publish the minutes from meetings between the Minister of Trade and the Chief of Defence Staff and their Chinese interlocutors on the week commencing 7 April 2025.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of the US Government's policies on deportation flights to El Salvador for his Department's advice to UK travellers to the US.

US immigration is a matter for the US Government, in accordance with international law. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps our travel advice under regular review to ensure it provides accurate information to British nationals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of US Government policy on universities on British students studying in the US.

US domestic policy is a matter for the US Government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office provides travel advice to inform British nationals so they can make decisions about travelling abroad. We constantly review our travel advice for each country or territory to ensure it includes up-to-date information and advice on the most relevant issues for British people visiting or living there. We stand ready to provide consular support to British nationals abroad 24/7.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on seizing the interest that has accrued on Roman Abramovich’s assets associated with the sale of Chelsea Football Club.

In a statement announcing the sale of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich stated the proceeds would be used to establish a foundation for the benefit of all the victims of the war in Ukraine. The Government is determined to see the proceeds reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible, and we are exploring all options to bring that about.