Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of her Department's compliance with its guidance to UK companies, issued in January 2011, to safeguard UK businesses and public bodies from any involvement or links with violations of human rights in the context of US sanctions on the Xinjiang Police College.

Her Majesty's Government (HMG) have robust processes in place to ensure that all projects funded by UK aid meet our human rights obligations and values. This includes publicly available HMG guidance that sets out the human rights risks that must be considered prior to providing any justice or security sector assistance.

We are aware of concerns raised by a recent report from Freedom from Torture regarding a British Council partnership with London Policing College (LPC). This project was part of a regional programme that included efforts to reduce human rights violations and other malpractice through better policing. This project did not involve the Xinjiang Policing College or any other public security entities in Xinjiang, and no funds were distributed to any overseas institutions.