Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China regarding the police raid of a worship meeting by 300 members of the Grace Light Church in Hunan Province on 3 November.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both raised human rights recently with their counterparts President Xi and Foreign Minister Wang respectively. More broadly, this Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to counter China’s attempts to use United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 2758 to justify Taiwan’s exclusion from the UN, and whether they have considered hosting side meetings with Taiwanese representatives at UN conventions where Taiwan is denied participation, including the recent 92nd INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In line with the UK's longstanding position on Taiwan, we support Taiwanese participation at international organisations as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite or as an observer or guest where it is. As Minister West made clear in her speech to the House on 28 November, it is the UK's view that UNGA Resolution 2758 decided that only the government of the People's Republic of China would represent China at the UN. It did not make a determination over the status of Taiwan and should not preclude Taiwan's meaningful participation at international organisations. We always consider opportunities for engaging with Taiwan in the margins of international events.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made at the UNHCR regarding violations of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Government of China.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, and the repression of Buddhists in Tibet. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We continue to coordinate efforts to hold China to account through our position at the UN, for example, by joining a statement led by Australia on Xinjiang and Tibet at the UN General Assembly on 22 October, and joining a statement led by the USA on Xinjiang at the Human Rights Council on 24 September.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to deepen their engagement with Taiwan, including through seeking full partner status at the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, and whether they intend to support Taiwan’s participation in future sessions of the AI Safety Summit.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK believes that the people of Taiwan have a valuable contribution to make on issues of global concern. We have been proud to support UK expert participation at GCTF events around the world, and we have no plans to step back from our engagement with the platform. The UK supports Taiwan's meaningful participation at international fora as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite or as an observer or guest where it is. Attendance at future AI Safety Summits is a matter for each event's host country.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of restrictions on religious freedom in Bangladesh, in particular, the detention of religious leaders and prevention of monks from travelling to India to attend a religious ceremony; what assessment they have made of the impact of such restrictions; and what steps they are taking to support the protection of freedom of religion or belief in that region.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Following the student-led protests in July and August, we have been closely monitoring the situation for minorities in Bangladesh. In November, Minister West visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities, including the Hindu community, with Chief Adviser Yunus. We are providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We will continue to engage with the Interim Government of Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Thailand about the case of Y Quynh Bđăp; and what steps they are taking to support the protection of human rights and freedom of religion or belief in Southeast Asia.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are following developments in Y Quynh Bdap's ongoing legal case closely. This includes observing his court hearings through the British Embassy in Bangkok. This Government is committed to using the strength of our global network to protect and promote Freedom of Religion or Belief for all.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the Electronic Travel Authorisation for British National (Overseas) passport holders who may urgently need to leave Hong Kong.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) were expanded to all eligible non-European nationalities on 27 November, and will be a requirement for travel to the UK from 8 January. ETAs have been introduced to strengthen the UK’s border security and help prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK.

The application is quick and light-touch, and many applications are decided within minutes.

Individuals who already have a UK immigration status, including a British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa, will not need to obtain an ETA to travel to the UK.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the paper, 'Insights into the primate trade into the European Union and the United Kingdom', by Svensson et al, published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research on 25 April 2023; and what steps they will take to quantify the illegal importation of wildlife into Britain and to end it.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have made no formal assessment of the paper by Svensson et al.

All primates are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), ensuring any international trade in these species is sustainable. Each year thousands of illegal products containing endangered species are seized by Border Force. These seizures are quantified in the UK’s annual illegal trade report to CITES and made available in the CITES Illegal Trade Database.

The UK is committed to combatting the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), including through our Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and through the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s Strategic Assessment for Wildlife Crime which aims to support UK and Global enforcement responses to IWT.

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Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that there is always a dedicated person or point of contact in the workplace to support colleagues with Down's syndrome.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Equality Act 2010 and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 require employers to make reasonable adjustments and to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. These legal provisions mean that, in appropriate cases, a dedicated person or point of contact may be required for employees with Down’s Syndrome.

DWP’s efforts to ensure that all disabled people can thrive in work include a digital information service for employers to help them support disability at work and the Disability Confident scheme. The Department’s specialist initiatives for jobseekers and employers alike includes Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres, and Access to Work grants which can help with the costs of support.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to suspend cargo routes from Xinjiang to UK airports.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

His Majesty's Government have no plans to restrict cargo operations between Xinjiang and UK airports. The decision to operate particular routes is a commercial decision for airlines.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to designating China as a specific foreign power in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is working at pace to implement the scheme. All further announcements will be made in the normal way in due course. We have recruited a case management team and are developing the IT arrangements. We expect the scheme to commence 2025. It would not be appropriate to comment on the scope of any specifications under the enhanced tier at this stage. The proposed foreign entities to be included on the enhanced tier will be subject to formal debate and agreement by both Houses of Parliament in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the increase in the number of whistleblowing complaints in respect of the Drax power station, from 14 in 2022 to 49 in 2023.

Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government takes reports of complaints very seriously. Compliance with biomass sustainability criteria is a priority and Ofgem as the independent regulator is responsible for ensuring generators’ compliance. Ofgem’s recent investigation found that whilst Drax complied with sustainability standards, it had failed to report data accurately. This is a serious matter and the Government expects full compliance with all regulatory obligations. Drax’s subsequent £25 million redress payment underscores the robustness of the regulatory system.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their most recent estimate of the quantity by weight of (1) illegal bush meat products and (2) other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products, illegally imported into the UK each year.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Food Standards Agency does not collect the inland data required at a commodity or establishment level to be able to estimate the quantity by weight of illegal, non-compliant, or contaminated meat products, illegally imported into the United Kingdom each year. Local authorities in England and Wales hold primary responsibility for acting against businesses identified as importing, trading, or selling such products. As such, data on these seizures is held by each individual local authority.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's re-export of goods from Xinjiang that are made with Uyghur forced labour to Europe and North America.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

No UK business should be complicit in forced labour. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36m or more are required to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains.

This Government will stand firm on human rights in China, including the repression of people in Xinjiang and will continue to hold China to account. The Government continues to review how we can best tackle forced labour in supply chains and continues to consider measures that would improve supply chain transparency and traceability.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government on how many occasions since 2019 (1) illegal bush meat products and (2) other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products have been confiscated at ports of entry to the UK; where and when these confiscations occurred; from which countries these confiscated products originated; and which species were confiscated.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

This information requested is not available.

We cannot provide any data on the species of animal any meat seized is from, or on the countries from which the meat originated. The data does not distinguish between 'meat' and 'bush meat’, and it does not specify why the meat was seized.

We also do not release details of the location as this information could risk undermining border security by providing intelligence in our resource deployment and targeting to smuggling networks.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of diseases being spread into the UK from illegal imports of (1) bush meat from Africa, and (2) meat from eastern Europe; and what steps they have taken to mitigate those risks.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra monitors animal disease outbreaks worldwide and assesses the risk that they might enter the United Kingdom (UK) through legal or illegal trade in animal products. Its team of veterinary and risk experts provide rapid outbreak assessments to inform import decisions and enforcement action and undertake full qualitative risk assessments in certain cases. These assessments are published on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

Meat imported commercially via Border Control Posts is subject to local authority-led official controls to ensure that it complies with UK import conditions. The Home Office’s Border Force has lead responsibility for identifying and seizing meat imported illegally other than via Border Control Posts.

To further mitigate the risks, it is illegal in the UK to feed catering or domestic food waste to livestock, including pigs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in considering the establishment of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is their policy that the issue of personal immunities should to be decided by judges in line with international law.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Those responsible for the hideous atrocities we have seen in Ukraine must be held to account for their actions. The UK is working with partners in the Core Group, established and led by Ukraine, to consider the complex issues involved in establishing a Special Tribunal. The issue of personal immunities remains under discussion in the Core Group and will form part of any agreement on the wider package of issues relating to the establishment of a Special Tribunal.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions ministers have had, if any, with European Cargo about undertaking due diligence and screening the company's cargo on routes from Urumqi to Cardiff International Airport and Bournemouth Airport.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Border Force does not routinely assess whether goods on freight entering the UK may have been made using forced labour, but we work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence to ensure all goods abide by customs and excise rules.

The Government encourages businesses to monitor their global supply chains with rigour, uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36 million or more must report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains by publishing an annual modern slavery statement.

The Home Office is currently working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Section 54 statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many cargo flights from Urumqi in China to Cardiff International Airport have been searched by UK border officials to ensure they are not carrying goods made by Uyghur forced labour.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Border Force does not routinely assess whether goods on freight entering the UK may have been made using forced labour, but we work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence to ensure all goods abide by customs and excise rules.

The Government encourages businesses to monitor their global supply chains with rigour, uncover and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find. Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36 million or more must report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains by publishing an annual modern slavery statement.

The Home Office is currently working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Section 54 statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of media reports that puréed tomatoes produced by Uyghur slave labour in Xinjiang are sold in UK supermarkets as having been produced in Italy; and what steps they are taking to require products produced in a state accused of genocide and slave labour to be labelled as such.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights in line with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

We work to maintain high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy. When the country of manufacture of a processed food, such as tomato puree, is provided on the label, the label must also show if the origin of the primary ingredient (the tomatoes in this case) is different. In any case, all information must be accurate and not mislead.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many successful prosecutions there have been in respect of the importation of (1) bushmeat and (2) other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products since 2019.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of prosecutions at criminal courts in England and Wales between 2018 and June 2024 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly: June 2024.

However, offences relating to the importation of bushmeat or other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products cannot be specifically identified from the Court Proceedings database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by Professor Chris Elliott of Queen's University Belfast in June that a series of threats to food security are converging to create “chaos” because it is "now much easier to get food that is not of the same quality and standards into the UK”; and what steps they are taking to improve border checks and information-sharing to mitigate these threats.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government published the UK Food Security Report 2024 last week and remains committed to protecting our biosecurity and will maintain the appropriate level of controls to achieve this in accordance with the Border Target Operating Model. Please also see the Border Target Operating Model web page on gov.uk for detailed information on the rationale for border controls (at Final_Border_Target_Operating_Model.pdf).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to continue to support the establishment of a special tribunal on the crimes of aggression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which could consider the criminal accountability of senior leaders of Russia and Belarus.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Those responsible for the hideous atrocities we have seen in Ukraine must be held to account for their actions. As we made clear in our manifesto, the Government supports work towards establishing a Special Tribunal on the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The UK is working with partners in the Core Group, established and led by Ukraine, to explore all options and models of tribunal.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that any special tribunal on the crime of aggression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is international in character, and has sufficient legitimacy and support.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is working with partners in the Core Group, established and led by Ukraine, to explore all options and models of tribunal. The UK is also considering how to encourage the broad international support that will be crucial to any tribunal's legitimacy.

Found: SW1A 0AA Tel 020 7219 4710 Email JCHR@parliament.uk Website www.parliament.uk From Lord Alton of Liverpool

Found: Letter from Lord Alton of Liverpool, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights to Baroness Anderson

Found: After Clause 7 LORD ALTON OF LIVERPOOL BARONESS FINLAY OF LLANDAFF LORD STOREY LORD WOODLEY 91_

Found: After Clause 7 LORD ALTON OF LIVERPOOL BARONESS FINLAY OF LLANDAFF LORD STOREY LORD WOODLEY 91_

Found: Letter dated 05/12/2024 from Lord Livermore to Lord Alton of Liverpool regarding progress in the case

Submit Evidence (by 24 Jan 2025)

Send us your views: Proposal for a Draft Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2024.

Submit Evidence (by 14 Feb 2025)

The inquiry will examine the UK’s current legal and voluntary framework in relation to forced labour in international supply chains, and whether it is effective in managing forced labour exposure risks in the UK market, or if changes are required.