Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Tuesday 17th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab)]

6. What recent steps he has taken to strengthen human rights throughout the world.

[Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)]

14. What recent steps he has taken to strengthen the protection of human rights throughout the world.

[The Minister for Asia (Nigel Adams)]

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. We are one of the longest standing members of the Human Rights Council, and we are committed to maintaining that record when we stand for re-election this year. The UK’s autonomous global human rights Magnitsky-style sanctions regime is due to come into force in the coming months. That will allow us to impose sanctions in response to serious human rights violations or abuses around the world.

[Nigel Adams]

We must tackle all human rights issues through multilateral organisations wherever possible. The UK Government will continue to make that case through our networks and ministerial team, and the hon. Gentleman raises a serious point.

[Lilian Greenwood]

University professor Chan Kin-man said about the 2014 Umbrella protest in Hong Kong:

“The reason we had this protest is that China did not honour a promise to Hong Kong to let it have democracy.”

He now faces seven years in jail for leading that protest. Will the Government stand up for him, or was Chris Patten right to describe their policy towards China as simply “craven”?

[Nigel Adams]

I met the Chinese ambassador in the past 10 days, and raised the issue of Hong Kong. We remain concerned about the political situation in Hong Kong, and believe that the underlying causes of the protests have not been addressed. We welcome the peaceful manner in which so many Hong Kong people have expressed their views, and we will continue to call for a robust, credible, and independent investigation into the events in Hong Kong between June 2019 and last January.