To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK Embassy in Beijing made to the Chinese Government following the arrest on 24 August 2008 of the right reverend Bishop Jia, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Zhengding Diocese in Hebei Province. (224041)

The UK has raised the case of Bishop Jia Zhiguo with the Chinese authorities at various times in the past, though we have not made representations over his most recent arrest. We have supported the inclusion of Bishop Jia in the list of cases of concern which the EU side will raise during the EU-China human rights dialogue at the end of November. We remain concerned both about Bishop Jia’s specific case and about the wider issues it raises with regard to religious freedom in China.