Xinjiang: Forced Labour Debate
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Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston
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Xinjiang: Forced Labour
Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston Excerpts(3 years, 10 months ago)
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The Deputy Speaker (Lord Lexden) (Con)
Lord Singh of Wimbledon? There is no response from the noble Lord, so I call the noble Baroness, Lady Stuart of Edgbaston.
Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (Non-Afl) [V]
My Lords, when it comes to Xinjiang, no one can say that we did not know. I welcome the Statement and, in particular, the transparency requirements for companies. In a liberal democracy, however, it is important to show that it is not just the Government who object to this but also the people of the British Isles. Will the Minister make it obvious when companies are not complying with the transparency requirements and encourage retailers, such as Marks & Spencer, which have made it clear that they will stop trading in cotton and garments that result from slave labour? We, as consumers, should be clear that we should not purchase any of these products.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con)
The noble Baroness makes a powerful point. We will look carefully at strengthening communications in this area.