Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to (a) the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 16 June 2021, Official Report, column 287 and (b) his oral contribution of 12 January 2021, Official Report, column 162, and pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2021 to Question 16783 on Import Controls China: whether the Government plans to implement (i) import and (ii) export controls on goods made in China, believed to be the product of forced labour.

On 12 January, the Foreign Secretary announced a review of existing export controls as they apply to Xinjiang to identify whether we can bring into scope any additional goods which could be used for internal repression or human rights violations in the region. This review is ongoing. Import and export controls are governed by different processes and legislation, and the Foreign Secretary's announcement on 12 January referred only to export controls. The Government has serious concerns about the situation in Xinjiang and we keep our policy response under close review.