China and Japan

Earl of Minto Excerpts

Wednesday 4th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)]

The noble Lord raises a number of issues, but the bottom line is that he asks whether engagement is better than stepping away and shouting. That is the fundamental difference between us and the party opposite. The kinds of issues he raises about investment, business and trade are important, but it is also important that we challenge. So, co-operation and engagement are key, as are cultural exchanges, which were quite a big part of the delegation. Sixty businesses and organisations travelled with the Prime Minister, many of them representing cultural organisations. That is really important and helps the understanding between peoples, not just between Governments. But we also have to challenge where we have differences, and that will continue alongside engagement.

[The Earl of Minto (Con)]

My Lords, given the profound uncertainty surrounding the UK’s treaty with Mauritius in respect of the Chagos Islands, can the noble Baroness the Lord Privy Seal confirm that further consideration of this Bill will not resume until the necessary amendments to the 1966 treaty—UN treaty 8737—between the UK and the United States have been made?

[Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)]

I must say to the noble Lord that I am responsible for many things, but the timing of our debates is a matter not for me but for the Chief Whip, who might not appreciate me saying what the timing could be. I will say to the noble Earl that we are in discussion with the Americans, as we have been throughout on this, but I have never, in all my time in this House, known a party table a Motion at ping-pong to delay ping-pong. That I think is unprecedented. On the substance of his point, yes, we are engaged with the Americans and we look forward to bringing the Motion forward in due course.