Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) her Department has made an estimate of the number of UK citizens who own properties in Ireland affected by defective concrete blocks used in construction in Donegal and (b) the Government is taking steps to work with the Irish Government on that matter.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
Whilst the UK and Ireland cooperate closely on many policy areas, domestic housing in Ireland is a matter for the Irish Government, and the UK Government has not made estimates of affected British nationals or been approached to cooperate on this particular issue.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of the judgment of the Uyghur Tribunal, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, published on 9 December 2021.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The Government notes the findings of the Uyghur Tribunal, and welcomes its contribution to building international awareness and understanding of the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. The UK has led international efforts to hold China to account at the UN, imposed sanctions on senior Chinese government officials, and announced measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in human rights violations through their supply chains. The policy of successive UK governments is that any determination of genocide or crimes against humanity is a matter for a competent court.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support Uyghurs.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The UK government had led international efforts to hold China to account for its human rights violations in Xinjiang. We led the first two statements on Xinjiang at the UN and have utilised our diplomatic network to raise the issue up the international agenda. On 21 October, a global diplomatic effort by the FCDO helped to secure the support of 43 countries for a joint statement at the UN Third Committee that underlined our serious concerns about the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. On 29 October, the Prime Minister raised the situation in Xinjiang in a telephone call with President Xi, as did the Foreign Secretary in her introductory call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 22 October . Furthermore, the UK has imposed sanctions on senior Chinese government officials and one entity responsible for human rights violations in Xinjiang, and announced measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in these violations through their supply chains. We will continue to work with our partners to increase the pressure on China to change its behaviour.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking towards imposing sanctions on individuals responsible for oppressing the Uyghur people.
Answered by Amanda Milling
On 22 March, the Government announced that, under the UK's Global Human Rights sanctions regime, the UK has imposed asset freezes and travel bans against four senior Chinese government officials and an asset freeze on one entity. These measures were taken alongside the US, Canada and the EU, and sent a clear message to the Chinese Government that the international community will not turn a blind eye to such serious and systematic violations of basic human rights. Sanctions are just one tool at our disposal, and the UK will continue to work closely with our partners in holding China to account for the egregious human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the United Nations.