Debates between Lord Hammond of Runnymede and Fiona Bruce during the 2015-2017 Parliament

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Hammond of Runnymede and Fiona Bruce
Tuesday 20th October 2015

(9 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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As I have said on many occasions previously when I have been asked to comment in the House on these judicial matters in Saudi Arabia, our judgment is that we achieve most by speaking privately but regularly to our Saudi interlocutors. Let me say to the hon. Gentleman that I do not expect Mr Andree to receive the lashings that he has been sentenced to, and I do not expect Mr al-Nimr to be executed.

Fiona Bruce Portrait Fiona Bruce (Congleton) (Con)
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T9. What representations have been made by Ministers to the Government of China and to the Chinese ambassador in London on the human rights situation there, particularly with regard to the recent arrest and detention of a substantial number of lawyers and rights campaigners?

Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), met human rights defenders last week to discuss these specific issues. We raise human rights issues regularly in our meetings with our Chinese counterparts. We also have a formal UK-China human rights dialogue—twice a year, with formal meetings—committed to nothing but the discussion of human rights issues of concern.