Written questions by Naish.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consider the potential costs for policing protests when making her decision on the planning application for the Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court.

An independent Inspector held a public inquiry into the proposals in question, at which interested parties were able to put forward evidence and representations. All material planning considerations will be taken into account in reaching a decision on this case.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 36235 on Oppression: China, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the redevelopment of a Chinese embassy in London on the ability of Hong Kong nationals in the UK to exercise their right to (a) free speech and (b) peaceful protest since 6 March 2025.

The management and safety of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police, and the Metropolitan Police Service have provided their assessment of the potential management of protests outside Royal Mint Court in their submission to the Planning Inquiry.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made a human rights risk assessment on the (a) diplomatic privileges and (b) surveillance capabilities at the proposed Chinese Embassy site in Royal Mint Court.

National security is the first duty of Government. It has been our core priority throughout this process. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. As part of this, the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary submitted a letter to the Planning Inspector to make clear that for China to be permitted to build the new embassy, the UK government will need to see the implementation of suitable national security mitigations. A final decision on this case will be made in due course by Ministers in the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government. It would not be appropriate to comment on any specific issues.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for (a) the Home Department and (b) Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of the proposed new Chinese embassy on traffic disruption.

There have been no discussions on the potential impact of the proposed new Chinese embassy on traffic disruption. Responsibility for managing London's road network is shared between Transport for London, National Highways, and the 32 London boroughs, plus the City of London. These bodies are responsible for considering traffic impacts on their roads.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will issue an apology for the lack of (a) referendum and (b) recognition of the right to self-determination for Hong Kong residents prior to the handover of Hong Kong to China.

The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration committed China to preserve Hong Kong's way of life for a period of at least 50 years. Since 2021, the UK has considered China to be in a state of ongoing non-compliance with the Joint Declaration.As a co-signatory of the Joint Declaration, the UK will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violation of their freedoms, and to hold China to its international obligations.The UK has demonstrated its historic and moral commitment to Hong Kongers who have chosen to retain their ties to the UK through the bespoke visa route for British National (Overseas) status holders and their families.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with their counterparts in the Department for Education on implementation of the recommendations of the report by British Future entitled Working it Out: Hong Kongers, Employment and the Cost of Living, published on 29 October 2024.

As the Foreign Secretary said in the latest 6-monthly Report, this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, strengthening the thick web of connections between our societies and remaining steadfast in commitment to the BN(O) visa route. The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and it will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow. Government Departments continue to work together in support of that objective. The BN(O) Welcome Programme continues to provide support to Hong Kongers in the UK, including through a network of 12 Welcome Hubs helping BN(O)s understand and connect to services in their local area.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that individuals prosecuted under the Hong Kong National Security Law are not unfairly excluded from access to the British Nationals (Overseas) visa scheme.

The Home Office considers all applications for UK visas on their individual merits. Suitability requirements apply to all routes and must be met in addition to validity and eligibility requirements. The Immigration Rules part 9: grounds for refusal (Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules part 9: grounds for refusal - Guidance - GOV.UK) has further detail as to when an application for entry clearance, permission to enter or permission to stay must be refused on criminality grounds. In addition, further information on how overseas convictions and offences not recognised in the UK are considered for applications submitted specifically under the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route can be found in the published casework guidance - Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route. Guidance for caseworkers provides flexibility to ensure that overseas convictions and offences not recognised in the UK do not result in the automatic refusal of a HK BN(O) route application.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with members of the (a) Hong Kong, (b) Uyghur and (c) Tibetan diasporas in the UK on the (i) security, (ii) human rights, (iii) peaceful protest and (iv) transnational repression implications of the proposed Chinese Embassy.

An appointed Inspector held a public inquiry which heard a range of evidence for and against the proposals in question.This case is now with the department, and so it would not be appropriate to comment further.Decisions on planning applications are based on material planning considerations.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increasing the qualifying period for settlement under the BNO visa scheme from five years to ten years on those visa holders, in the context of concerns raised by Hong Kong Watch in their letter to the Secretary of State for the Home Department of 12 May 2025.

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.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on guaranteeing the long-term continuation of the British National (Overseas) visa scheme for eligible individuals from Hong Kong.

As the Foreign Secretary said in the latest 6-monthly Report, this Government remains steadfast in our commitment to the British National (Overseas) visa route. The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and it will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow.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. As with all matters, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close communication with the Home Office on how best to deliver the Government's objectives.

What recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on barriers to (a) eligibility and (b) meeting settlement requirements under the BN(O) visa scheme.

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.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of use of diplomatic premises in the UK to (a) monitor and (b) intimidate members of diaspora communities; and what safeguards are in place to prevent such activity.

Diplomatic activity in the UK is governed through the principles of the Vienna Conventions which allows for legitimate diplomatic activity. Where we find evidence of any activity that goes beyond what is accredited for, this could invalidate the accreditation, and the UK would take appropriate action.While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, where we identify such threats, we are front footed in deploying protective measures as appropriate.If individuals think they are a victim of state directed activity, they should report this to police via the established mechanisms 101, 999, or at a local police station.

If she will relax the 90-day absence rule for British National (Overseas) visa holders for exceptional circumstances for visa holders from Hong Kong.

British Nationals (Overseas) who wish to become British citizens can apply for registration under section 4(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981. There is some discretion over the requirement not to have been outside the UK for more than 90 days in the final year of the residential qualifying period. Published guidance sets out when that discretion would normally be exercised.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by British Future entitled Working it Out: Hong Kongers, Employment and the Cost of Living, published on 29 October 2024.

While no formal assessment of the report has been made, the department remains committed to supporting British National (Overseas) status holders through access to higher education, further education and English language training once residency criteria are met. We continue to work with partners across government to ensure British Nationals (Overseas) can thrive.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37349 on Education: British National (Overseas), what steps her Department has taken (a) before 19 March 2025 and (b) since 19 March 2025, in response to the publication of the report by British Future entitled Working it Out: Hong Kongers, Employment and the Cost of Living, published on 29 October 2024.

The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and it will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow. In March 2025, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced its fifth year of funding for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme, which continues to provide support to Hong Kongers in the UK, including through a network of 12 Welcome Hubs helping BN(O)s understand and connect to services in their local area.We also recently closed a competitive tender process for the delivery of a new programme to provide English language and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders. This programme will provide support for up to 4,000 individuals.

Communities and Local Government, if she will instruct the DVLA to conduct an audit of car park records in instances where a pattern of disputes has been identified.

The Government recognises the need for high standards in the private parking industry and is committed to delivering a Code of Practice that promotes good practice, in accordance with The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019. We are progressing with plans to protect and support all motorists. We will be launching a consultation in due course to help us further understand the potential impacts of the Code and its accompanying enforcement framework, including our approach to scrutiny and oversight.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure cross-border cooperation between local education authorities in the planning and allocation of school places.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is introducing new duties for mainstream state schools and local authorities to co-operate regarding school admissions and for state schools to co-operate with local authorities regarding place planning. Where co-operation breaks down or fails, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will be able to intervene. This measure will help ensure that admissions and place planning decisions account for local communities’ needs.Local authorities, academy trusts and local partners should work together on place planning. We expect local authorities to share their place planning strategy and data with local partners, which can include neighbouring local authorities.Local authorities are required to ensure that their scheme to co-ordinate admission arrangements for the normal admissions round considers the admission of pupils in different local authority areas where that is what parents wish. Where possible their scheme of coordination should be compatible with the coordination schemes of neighbouring authorities. Where local authorities receive cross border applications, we expect the authorities to work together to ensure families receive timely decisions on national offer day, at the highest preference school that can offer the child a place.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a public awareness campaign to encourage more drivers to replace (a) faulty and (b) broken indicator lights.

Modern vehicles are fitted with a mandatory tell-tale lamp to indicate whether the direction indicators are functioning properly. Statistics show that there are on average 146 collisions per year where defective lamps and indicators were considered to be a contributory factor. Direction indicator lamps are routinely checked at the annual MOT and the police are empowered to stop vehicles with defective lamps. Annex 6 of The Highway Code contains information on vehicle maintenance and makes it clear that special care should be taken to ensure that lights are working and are kept clean and clear. THINK!, the Government’s flagship road safety campaign, prioritises budget where it can have most impact on reducing deaths and serious injuries, based on reviewing audience attitudes, statistics and alignment with issues that are prioritised by the police, such as drink driving and speeding. The campaign focuses on young men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over.We continue to adapt and evolve our campaign strategy based on data and insight and support a wider range of road safety messages via our partners and brand channels.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of veterinary professionals in the farming sector; and what plans he has to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to enable more use of paraprofessionals.

Defra is exploring various avenues to improve the short- and long-term capacity issues in the veterinary sector. We have engagement with the veterinary profession and other relevant stakeholders, including veterinary schools and government organisations to work together to find sustainable solutions, ensuring the ongoing provision of high-quality veterinary surgeons both in the private and public sectors. The Government is also engaged with the veterinary profession and stakeholders to review opportunities for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA), including the role of allied professionals.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to help improve the (a) recording and (b) traceability of farm animals through the Livestock Information Service.

The Government’s ambition is to achieve a comprehensive, multispecies Livestock Information Service, allowing disease to be identified and controlled more effectively, helping to meet our key priority of supporting farmers to boost our food security. Through its Livestock Information Transformation Programme (LITP), Defra will replace existing livestock traceability systems across England, enhancing digitisation of livestock movement reporting, reducing paper use, and introducing electronic cattle tagging by 2027. It will deliver near real-time, accurate data to improve traceability, accelerate disease response, and better protect public and animal health. We are working with the devolved Governments to ensure that similar changes being made in Scotland and Wales work together effectively across Great Britain.