The Foreign Secretary issued the following statement on 9 October 2018:<\/p>
\u201cI remain very concerned by the Hong Kong authorities\u2019 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\u2019s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the \u2018One Country, Two Systems\u2019 framework. I urge the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider this decision. Confidence in Hong Kong\u2019s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.\u201d<\/p>
It is imperative that journalists are allowed to perform their work independently, and without interference.<\/p>
We have raised this issue with the Hong Kong authorities.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1405", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Field"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cities of London and Westminster"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Field"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-10-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-10-16T16:32:49.047Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-10-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Hong Kong: Visas"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Hong Kong counterpart in on the issue of work visas to journalists.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3958", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Fiona Bruce"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Congleton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Fiona Bruce"} ], "uin" : "178276"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/964646", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/964646/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The reports of BBC Persian staff in Iran being harassed and subject to asset freezes and similar forms of mistreatment are deeply worrying. The former Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families in Iran with his Iranian counterpart during his visit to Tehran on 9-10 December 2017. I raised this issue directly with the Government of Iran when I visited Tehran in September 2018. We will continue to raise this issue at all levels.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1201", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alistair Burt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Bedfordshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alistair Burt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-11T13:42:41.903Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-09-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Iran: Journalism"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to protect BBC journalists in Tehran.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3958", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Fiona Bruce"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Congleton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Fiona Bruce"} ], "uin" : "169293"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/947038", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/947038/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department has received representations relating to human bodies being exhibited at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The Department does not hold information about consent, either for transportation or for the exhibition of the bodies concerned.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-09-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-09-04T16:25:00.357Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "National Exhibition Centre"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has received representations on the origin of 20 skinless human bodies being exhibited at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham; and what information his Department holds on consents obtained for the (a) transportation and (b) exhibition of those bodies.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3958", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Fiona Bruce"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Congleton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Fiona Bruce"} ], "uin" : "167240"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/943865", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/943865/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Government officials are currently exploring what should be included in the strategy and aim to publish this early next year following discussions with stakeholders. The new strategy will allow us to consider the changing landscape of alcohol use and to target vulnerable people who need support most with effective, evidence-based interventions. Understanding the needs of families or carers who support people with an alcohol dependence will be an important part of the development of the strategy and £6 million of new funding has been announced to help improve outcomes for children of alcohol dependent parents and help to tackle conflict within those families.<\/p>
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The Government is committed to continuing to support informal carers, and to do so in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing, employment and other life chances. We also remain committed to support informal carers to provide care for those they care for. That is why the Department published a cross-Government action plan of targeted work to support carers over the next two years. Further information is available at the following link:<\/p>
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