Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference between the interim determination of genocide, as made by parliaments, governments or international non-judicial bodies, and the final determination of genocide by a domestic or international court after a full trial.

It is the policy of the British Government, that any judgment as to whether war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is a matter for judicial decision after consideration of all the available evidence, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This approach provides a clear, impartial, and independent measure of whether genocide has occurred.

As the majority of mass atrocities occur in and around conflict, the government believes a focus on conflict prevention is the best means to prevent most mass atrocities. Her Majesty's Government (HMG) adopts a whole-of-government effort, using our diplomatic, development, defence and law enforcement capabilities, to help find pathways to peace and stability.

As a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the UK is fully committed to the prevention and punishment of genocide as appropriate under the Convention.