Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the effect on the human rights of the Uyghur people of being placed in (a) detention camps and (b) state orphanages in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang including the extra-judicial detention of over one million Uyghurs in political "re-education camps", and reports of children being forcibly separated from their parents.

On 30 June, the UK read out a statement on behalf of 28 countries at the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council highlighting concerns about arbitrary detention, widespread surveillance and restrictions in Xinjiang, urging China to allow the High Commissioner for Human Rights meaningful access to the region. On 9 March, the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi.

I set out during an Urgent Question in the House of Commons on 29 June, these reports add to our concern about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and we are considering them carefully.