Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific was made aware of the human rights record of Mr Liu Jianchao ahead of her meeting with him on 20 June, specifically his responsibility for the Chinese Communist Party's operations known as "Fox Hunt" and "Sky Net".
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, attended the Great Britain-China Centre's Senior Leadership Forum on 20 June to provide opening remarks, and afterwards held a short bilateral meeting with Liu Jianchao, Head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China. Minister Trevelyan was briefed in advance, and through her speech and in the bilateral meeting set out the UK's views on China's human rights violations, including in Xinjiang, and the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
The Government's approach is to engage constructively with China while steadfastly defending our national security and our values. Robust engagement to challenge human rights violations and stand up for the rights of the oppressed is at the core of the UK's diplomatic work around the world. We will continue to raise human rights issues directly with China.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they gave China £51.7 million in Official Development Assistance in the last year; and what assessment they have made of the continuing need to give China such assistance given that China has the second largest economy in the world.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government stopped direct government-to-government bilateral aid to the Chinese Government in 2011. The FCDO cut aid programming in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year. All new FCDO ODA programming in 2021 was limited to supporting projects that furthered our open societies and human rights objectives in China, such as funding important research on the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. There was additional programme spend in 2021-22 to meet the exit costs of former programmes. In addition to programme spend, FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China in 2021 includes other types of spend that is counted as ODA, such as ODA eligible operational costs for UK diplomatic missions in China, Chevening scholarships, ODA-eligible British Council activity and funding for the Great Britain China Centre. It is not direct assistance to the Chinese government but is categorised as ODA in line with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Development Assistance Committee rules on ODA reporting. Total HMG ODA to China in 2021 also included spend by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [£18.8 million], the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs [£30,000] and, in the first quarter of the year only, the Prosperity Fund [£2.8 million]. Details on all UK ODA projects for 2021, including those to China, can be found in the Statistics on International Development publication in 'Data Underlying the SID': https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1119764/data-underlying-SID-2021.ods
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government who decided to give £51.7 million of Official Development Assistance to China last year; how this aligns with their commitment in April 2021 to reduce such funding by 95 per cent; and when this reduction will be implemented.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government stopped direct government-to-government bilateral aid to the Chinese Government in 2011. The FCDO cut aid programming in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year. All new FCDO ODA programming in 2021 was limited to supporting projects that furthered our open societies and human rights objectives in China, such as funding important research on the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. There was additional programme spend in 2021-22 to meet the exit costs of former programmes. In addition to programme spend, FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China in 2021 includes other types of spend that is counted as ODA, such as ODA eligible operational costs for UK diplomatic missions in China, Chevening scholarships, ODA-eligible British Council activity and funding for the Great Britain China Centre. It is not direct assistance to the Chinese government but is categorised as ODA in line with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Development Assistance Committee rules on ODA reporting. Total HMG ODA to China in 2021 also included spend by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [£18.8 million], the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs [£30,000] and, in the first quarter of the year only, the Prosperity Fund [£2.8 million]. Details on all UK ODA projects for 2021, including those to China, can be found in the Statistics on International Development publication in 'Data Underlying the SID': https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1119764/data-underlying-SID-2021.ods
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any of the £51.7 million in Official Development Assistance that they provided to China last year was used (1) to provide assistance to, or (2) to benefit, the Uyghur communities in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government stopped direct government-to-government bilateral aid to the Chinese Government in 2011. The FCDO cut aid programming in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year. All new FCDO ODA programming in 2021 was limited to supporting projects that furthered our open societies and human rights objectives in China, such as funding important research on the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. There was additional programme spend in 2021-22 to meet the exit costs of former programmes. In addition to programme spend, FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China in 2021 includes other types of spend that is counted as ODA, such as ODA eligible operational costs for UK diplomatic missions in China, Chevening scholarships, ODA-eligible British Council activity and funding for the Great Britain China Centre. It is not direct assistance to the Chinese government but is categorised as ODA in line with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Development Assistance Committee rules on ODA reporting. Total HMG ODA to China in 2021 also included spend by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [£18.8 million], the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs [£30,000] and, in the first quarter of the year only, the Prosperity Fund [£2.8 million]. Details on all UK ODA projects for 2021, including those to China, can be found in the Statistics on International Development publication in 'Data Underlying the SID': https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1119764/data-underlying-SID-2021.ods
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what projects in China were funded with the £51.7 million in Official Development Assistance they provided to that country last year; and who were the beneficiaries of those projects.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government stopped direct government-to-government bilateral aid to the Chinese Government in 2011. The FCDO cut aid programming in China by 95 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year. All new FCDO ODA programming in 2021 was limited to supporting projects that furthered our open societies and human rights objectives in China, such as funding important research on the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang. There was additional programme spend in 2021-22 to meet the exit costs of former programmes. In addition to programme spend, FCDO Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China in 2021 includes other types of spend that is counted as ODA, such as ODA eligible operational costs for UK diplomatic missions in China, Chevening scholarships, ODA-eligible British Council activity and funding for the Great Britain China Centre. It is not direct assistance to the Chinese government but is categorised as ODA in line with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Development Assistance Committee rules on ODA reporting. Total HMG ODA to China in 2021 also included spend by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [£18.8 million], the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs [£30,000] and, in the first quarter of the year only, the Prosperity Fund [£2.8 million]. Details on all UK ODA projects for 2021, including those to China, can be found in the Statistics on International Development publication in 'Data Underlying the SID': https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1119764/data-underlying-SID-2021.ods
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of the involvement of Chinese state-owned manufacturers in the rollout of smart meters across the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Smart metering infrastructure in Great Britain has been developed in close coordination with industry security experts and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to ensure the most robust security controls are in place.
The system includes rigorous safeguards that are resilient to the global nature of supply chains. This includes a requirement that certain key smart metering system security controls are provided and maintained within the UK.
Smart meters require certification under the NCSC’s Commercial Product Assurance Scheme (CPA) prior to being installed by energy suppliers.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has provided guidance to sporting representatives of Great Britain participating in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games on the exercise of fundamental human rights in that country.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We have provided specific advice to the British Olympic and Paralympic Associations, including in respect of security, Chinese law and society, to ensure Team GB and Paralympics GB are as well prepared as possible for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. We wish our athletes every success and they will continue to have our full support throughout the games. Officials in Beijing stand ready to provide consular assistance if needed.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has provided for the training of Chinese judges through the work of the Great-Britain China Centre since 2015; and how many Chinese judges the Great-Britain China Centre has trained that date.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Great Britain China Centre (GBCC), an arms-length public body independent from Government, facilitates dialogue with China on issues of importance to the UK. It currently receives £500,000 per annum in funding from the FCDO. GBCC uses this funding to support the UK Government's China objectives, including by delivering projects on rule of law and judicial cooperation. GBCC engages with legal professionals through a wide variety of forums, including the UK-China Joint Judicial Expert Working Group on Commercial Dispute Resolution and the UK-China Rule of Law Roundtable. Such initiatives are not training programmes, but instead dialogues that help to foster a better understanding of legal and judicial systems in China and the UK, and promote the rule of law as a key UK value. Given the nature of such dialogues, it is not possible to establish with precision how many Chinese judges have been engaged since 2015.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment the Department has made of the Bet365's compliance with Chinese law in relation to its operations in that country.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
All gambling companies providing gambling facilities to consumers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with the conditions and codes of practice of their operating licences. The Gambling Commission expects operators to obey the laws of other jurisdictions in which they operate, and requires operators to report any regulatory investigation or finding into their activities in any other jurisdiction.
Operators must inform the Gambling Commission if they have a substantial customer base outside of Britain. Where this is the case, the Gambling Commision asks operators why they do not consider themselves to be acting illegally by providing gambling facilities in these jurisdictions. This may be because they are licenced to operate in that jurisdiction, or because they have satisfied themselves in some other way that they are not breaking the law by providing gambling facilities. If operators are found to not to be acting in a lawful manner in other jurisdictions, the Gambling Commission will re-assess their suitability to hold a licence to offer gambling services in Britain.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) racial and (b) religious identification was of those stopped under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at British airports in each of the last three years.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office receives a quarterly dataset from the National Counter-Terrorism Police Headquarters (NCTPHQ) reflecting the use of counter-terrorism powers, including those under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000. This data is collected and published on a quarterly basis in the “Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000” publication, which is available online.
Data is included within this publication to show the total number of examinations in Great Britain over the defined period, which includes a breakdown by ethnicity. This does not, however, include a breakdown by the type of port (airport or seaport) or religious identification as the Home Office does not receive this data from NCTPHQ.
From the latest available dataset (year ending 30 September 2019), this is the breakdown of the total number of examinations in Great Britain by ethnicity:
Examinations | Year ending 30 Sep 2017 | Year ending 30 Sep 2018 | Year ending 30 Sep 2019 |
Total | 16,919 | 12,752 | 10,344 |
White | 5,017 | 3,212 | 2,335 |
Mixed | 637 | 699 | 574 |
Black or Black British | 1,277 | 922 | 749 |
Asian or Asian British | 4,694 | 3,088 | 2,690 |
Chinese or Other | 3,255 | 2,680 | 2,905 |
Not stated | 2,039 | 2,151 | 1,091 |