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<p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question
in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with
the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">I set out the Government’s position
in Parliament on 25 July in response to an Oral Question. I noted the time and energy
that the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China has dedicated to
this issue. The evidence presented at the hearings they organised provided disturbing
details about the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners, and raised worrying questions
about China’s transplant system. Officials have reviewed the evidence thoroughly.
While the evidence is not incontrovertible, we take these allegations seriously and
have consulted the World Health Organization (WHO), NGOs and international partners.
The WHO’s view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant
system in accordance with international standards, though they do have concerns about
overall transparency.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We currently do not have
any plans to make representations to the Chinese Government on allegations of systematic,
state-sponsored organ harvesting, nor raise the allegations at the UN Human Rights
Council (UN HRC). However, we regularly raise concerns about the treatment of religious
and ethnic minorities, both directly with Chinese officials and at the UN HRC.</ins></p><p>
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