Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the UK’s building of new economic partnerships will not adversely impact human rights overseas.

The Government is clear that more trade will not come at the expense of human rights. The UK will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international human rights obligations and hold those who violate human rights to account. In doing so we will continue to bring to bear all of the diplomatic and development tools available to us. We have, for example, used the powers provided by the Global Human Rights sanctions regulations to impose sanctions on 81 individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations or abuses around the world.