Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions has he had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the role of the Chinese state owned Beijing Construction Engineering Group International in the delivery of services to (a) local authorities and (b) the public sector.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary engages his Ministerial counterparts on a range of issues, including those relating to China. As an open economy, we welcome foreign trade and investment including from Chinese businesses where it adheres to our laws and supports UK growth and jobs. In line with the Integrated Review, we will continue to pursue a positive trade and investment relationship with China, while ensuring our national security and values are protected.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that Taiwan can viably access an alternative source of covid-19 vaccine supply to that being offered by the Chinese Government.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK remains committed to equitable access to safe and effective vaccines and the Prime Minister has stated that we will share vaccines with COVAX and has called on G7 leaders to vaccinate the world by end of next year. We will continue to discuss this issue with our G7 partners and will issue details of the quantities and timeframe for sharing vaccine doses soon.
Taiwan has had one of the lowest incidences of Covid-19 in the world since the outbreak of the pandemic. We are continuing to engage with the relevant authorities locally through the British Office in Taipei as it faces its first significant occurrence of community transmission of the virus. Taiwan has so far received 609,600 doses through the COVAX platform. We will continue to work with all of our international partners to deliver a strong global response to the pandemic.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made towards the establishment of a parliamentary committee to examine allegations of genocide.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Charging a Committee with the functions set out in section 3 of the Trade Act is a matter for Parliament. During the passage of the Bill, it was not possible to secure agreement on which committees would be responsible for this process. However, I can now confirm that the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (FAC) has agreed to be charged with the role in the Commons, subject to agreement by the House. This proposal was agreed through usual channel discussions with the Chair of the FAC and other parties. Discussions are still ongoing in the House of Commons, and are due to begin shortly in the House of Lords.
As previously agreed, the Government will also support the responsible Committees in both Houses being able to refer reports of genocide, in the territory of a prospective Free Trade Agreement counter-party, to a joint committee. Again, once charged, this will be a matter for each House and the responsible Committees to determine, and the Government has committed to bring forward motions if necessary.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to respond to the humanitarian situation in Nepal; what assessment he has made of the speed of the Government's response to that situation, with particular reference to the Government's acknowledgment that Nepal is considered a close ally of the UK with historic ties of over 200 years; and what comparative assessment he has made of the speed of the Government's response and the response of other countries to that situation.
Answered by Nigel Adams
On Friday 28 May, a plane carrying the UK's donation of 260 ventilators and 2,000 visors arrived in Nepal, in response to an urgent request for medical supplies from the Government of Nepal. Moreover, since the beginning of the pandemic, British Embassy Kathmandu has helped Nepal respond to COVID-19 by reprioritising over £40 million of its aid budget. This support has included the construction of an oxygen plant in a Kathmandu hospital; technical advice to local government on managing the impact of COVID-19; water, sanitation and hygiene facilities to support around 300,000 people; safe spaces for women in isolation centres; cash and voucher assistance for the most vulnerable; and nutrition support for pregnant and lactating women. The UK is also a leading donor to COVAX, having committed £548 million to the scheme. COVAX has allocated 2,000,000 vaccine doses to Nepal, of which 348,000 have already been delivered. We are working closely with international partners to support the people of Nepal at this difficult time.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans in the UN General Assembly to oppose the election of Mohan Peiris, Sri Lanka’s nominee for membership of the UN’s Law Commission, on the basis of performance as that country’s Attorney General; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the election of Mohan Peris on the credibility of the Law Commission.
Answered by Nigel Adams
As a matter of established policy, the UK does not reveal its voting intentions in international elections. We recognise the important role of the International Law Commission in promoting the progressive development of international law and its codification. The UK will carefully consider all candidates in determining our voting position.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, entitled Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang and UK value chains, HC 1272, published on 17 March 2021, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on supporting the recommendation in that report for the Government to publish lists of companies that (a) can and (b) cannot offer supply chain transparency.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Evidence of forced Uyghur labour, within Xinjiang and in other parts of China, is credible and growing. We have consistently made clear our view that all businesses involved in investing in Xinjiang, or with parts of their supply chains in Xinjiang, should conduct appropriate due diligence to satisfy themselves that their activities do not support, or risk being seen to support, any human rights violations or abuses. Our message to UK business is clear. It is time to act without delay to ensure our supply chains are free from forced labour and that they are not complicit in these gross violations of human rights. The Government will formally respond to the report and its recommendations by the deadline. Policy responsibility for forced labour and supply chains is split across several Government departments. Officials from BEIS, the FCDO and across Government are co-ordinating closely, including on issues raised by the Committee.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government recognises Ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn as the legitimate representative of the Government of Myanmar in the UK.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We pay tribute to Ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn for his bravery in standing up in support of democracy. The UK remains steadfast in our opposition to the coup, as demonstrated by our strong international leadership, including at the United Nations Security Council and G7, and through our imposition of targeted sanctions. It is the longstanding policy and practice of successive British Governments to accord recognition to States and not to Governments. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has received notification, in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, of the appointment of a chargé d'affaires ad interim to act provisionally as head of Myanmar's mission in the United Kingdom. The consent of the receiving State is not required when appointing a chargé d'affaires ad interim.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he plans to have with the Prime Minister ahead of his visit to India on making representations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on attacks on media freedom and journalists in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Prime Minister's visit to India will be an opportunity to discuss a range of bilateral and multilateral issues with the Indian Government. Where we have specific concerns we raise them directly with the Government of India.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the potential merits of using his upcoming visit to India to make representations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the shutdown of Amnesty International India since September 2020 despite no charges having been brought against the organisation.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Prime Minister's visit to India will be an opportunity to discuss a range of bilateral and multilateral issues with the Indian Government. Where we have specific concerns we raise them directly with the Government of India.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is his policy that all (a) Uyghurs, (b) Kazakhs and (c) other members of Chinese ethnic groups resident in the UK, regardless of their immigration status, will be provided with consular and other appropriate assistance to establish (i) the whereabouts of and (ii) contact with their children in China in the event that they require such assistance.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The assistance the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide As stated in our guidance we cannot provide this support to other countries' nationals, even if they have been resident in the UK.