To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the government of China on the abolition of the death penalty. (105047)

We continue to lobby the Chinese government to limit, and ultimately abolish, its use of the death penalty. My noble and Learned Friend the Lord Chancellor most recently raised the death penalty with the Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on 24 October. We also raised this issue at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in July, and my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade voiced his own concerns about the use of the death penalty in China during his visit in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of people executed in China in each of the last 10 years. (105048)

Statistics on actual use of the death penalty in China remain a state secret, but non-governmental organisations have suggested that figures could currently be as high as 8,000 executions per year. We continue to press the Chinese government to limit, and ultimately abolish, its use of the death penalty, and improve transparency with regard to the number of people executed in China. My noble and Learned Friend the Lord Chancellor raised the death penalty with the Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on 24 October. We also raised death penalty reform at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in July, and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, voiced his own concerns about the use of the death penalty in China during his visit in July.