Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps (a) she and (b) her Department is taking to raise the UN Human Rights Office's assessment of human rights concerns in Xinjiang, China with the Chinese Government.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights provides new evidence of the appalling extent of China's efforts to silence and repress Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. It includes harrowing evidence, including first-hand accounts from victims, that shames China in the eyes of the international community.
The UK has already led international efforts to pressure China to change its behaviour. We have imposed sanctions, led joint statements at the UN, taken action to tackle forced labour in supply chains, funded research to expose China's actions, and consistently raised our concerns at the highest levels in Beijing.
Following the report's publication, we have raised our deep concerns about its findings with the Chinese Embassy in London as well as senior officials in Beijing. We are now considering appropriate next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Owen Thompson (Scottish National Party - Midlothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further diplomatic steps she is planning to take with the Chinese Government in relation to the UN Human Rights Office's assessment of human rights concerns in Xinjiang, China.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights provides new evidence of the appalling extent of China's efforts to silence and repress Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. It includes harrowing evidence, including first-hand accounts from victims, that shames China in the eyes of the international community.
The UK has already led international efforts to pressure China to change its behaviour. We have imposed sanctions, led joint statements at the UN, taken action to tackle forced labour in supply chains, funded research to expose China's actions, and consistently raised our concerns at the highest levels in Beijing.
Following the report's publication, we have raised our deep concerns about its findings with the Chinese Embassy in London as well as senior officials in Beijing. We are now considering appropriate next steps with our international partners.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of links between BGI Group and the People's Liberation Army; and if his Department will ban BGI Group in the UK in light of reports of that company's involvement in genetic data harvesting and involvement in abuses against Uyghurs.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The United Kingdom has an established policy to manage modern slavery risks and we continue to take action to limit exposure to human rights and modern slavery abuses in supply chains. Governmental commercial teams are required to undertake due diligence to ensure risks in supply chains are mitigated. Managing risks within existing contracts is the responsibility of those who are party to the contract and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
There is no specified procurement evaluation criteria in UK legislation or policy related to entities of Chinese origin and to take account of the national origin of companies would be against the principles in UK law related to equal treatment. The Department evaluates bids and if there is sufficient evidence of human rights or modern slavery abuses in any of the supply chains, we take appropriate steps to exclude them from that procurement. Procurement rules include ‘exclusion grounds’ of mandatory grounds, where contracting authorities must exclude and discretionary criteria, where they may exclude. If a bidder is convicted of an offence under section 1, 2 or 4 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, there is a mandatory exclusion. However, even if there is no conviction, strong evidence of breaches is likely to be grounds for discretionary exclusion.
BGI Genomics is a supplier on the National Microbiology Framework contract, launched in 2021. The mandatory and discretionary exclusion criteria was requested from all suppliers at the time the Framework was tendered. BGI Genomics was awarded a call-off contract from the Framework contract by the UK Health Security Agency in August 2021 which also involved compliance with mandatory and discretionary selection requirements. This call-off contract lapsed on 14 November 2021 and no further contract with BGI has been let.
Asked by: Paul Holmes (Conservative - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will extend the departmental ban on Hikvision to include (a) BGI Group and (b) other Chinese state linked companies implicated in abuses against Uyghurs.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The United Kingdom has an established policy to manage modern slavery risks and we continue to take action to limit exposure to human rights and modern slavery abuses in supply chains. Governmental commercial teams are required to undertake due diligence to ensure risks in supply chains are mitigated. Managing risks within existing contracts is the responsibility of those who are party to the contract and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
There is no specified procurement evaluation criteria in UK legislation or policy related to entities of Chinese origin and to take account of the national origin of companies would be against the principles in UK law related to equal treatment. The Department evaluates bids and if there is sufficient evidence of human rights or modern slavery abuses in any of the supply chains, we take appropriate steps to exclude them from that procurement. Procurement rules include ‘exclusion grounds’ of mandatory grounds, where contracting authorities must exclude and discretionary criteria, where they may exclude. If a bidder is convicted of an offence under section 1, 2 or 4 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, there is a mandatory exclusion. However, even if there is no conviction, strong evidence of breaches is likely to be grounds for discretionary exclusion.
BGI Genomics is a supplier on the National Microbiology Framework contract, launched in 2021. The mandatory and discretionary exclusion criteria was requested from all suppliers at the time the Framework was tendered. BGI Genomics was awarded a call-off contract from the Framework contract by the UK Health Security Agency in August 2021 which also involved compliance with mandatory and discretionary selection requirements. This call-off contract lapsed on 14 November 2021 and no further contract with BGI has been let.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has held with her Chinese counterpart on the reported shoot to kill policies at Uyghur concentration camps.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As the Foreign Secretary made clear in her statement of 24 May (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-statement-on-xinjiang-24-may-2022), these latest reports provide further shocking details of China's gross human rights violations in Xinjiang. We have raised our serious concerns about this new and compelling evidence with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in London.
We will continue to raise our deep concern about the situation in Xinjiang directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. The Prime Minister did so most recently in a telephone call with President Xi on 25 March.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is considering additional sanctions against people associated with the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has previously imposed sanctions against Chinese Government officials and an entity responsible for enforcing China's repressive policies in Xinjiang. These measures were taken alongside the US, EU and Canada in an unprecedented joint action. While we do not speculate about possible future designations, as to do so may undermine their effectiveness, we will continue to keep all potential listings and evidence under review.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review deportations to China in light of human rights concerns relating to that country.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of any relevant caselaw and the latest available country information. Our position on the Uyghurs in China is set out in the relevant country policy and information note on the gov.uk website.
Where someone establishes a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm in their country, they are normally granted protection and are not expected to return there. The Home Office only seeks to return those whose asylum claim have been unsuccessful. By definition, they do not need protection and not at risk on return.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the Government has not formally designated actions by the Chinese state against the Uyghur Muslim communities as genocide.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are clear that China's actions in Xinjiang represent gross violations of human rights, for which China must be held to account. However it is the long-standing policy of the British Government not to make determinations in relation to genocide. Genocide is a crime and there must be no impunity for it. As with other crimes, judgment should be made after all available evidence has been considered by a competent court. The UK has led international efforts to hold China to account at the UN, imposed sanctions on senior Chinese Government officials, and announced measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in these violations through their supply chains. We will continue to act with our international partners to increase the pressure on China to change its behaviour.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will conduct a review into the supply chain for fashion businesses in light of evidence of human rights abuses in China.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has taken steps to help ensure that no British organisations profit from, or contribute to, human rights violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities in China. This includes new guidance for UK businesses on the risks of doing business in Xinjiang and enhanced export controls, as well as the introduction of financial penalties under the Modern Slavery Act. Organisations are expected to report on the action they are taking to tackle and prevent modern slavery risks in their supply chains as part of their annual modern slavery statement. Our overseas business risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in Xinjiang and urges them to consider their corporate responsibilities when making investment decisions.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential extent to which business profits from human rights abuses and forced labour in China are passed through UK companies.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government has taken steps to help ensure that no British organisations profit from, or contribute to, human rights violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities in China. This includes new guidance for UK businesses on the risks of doing business in Xinjiang and enhanced export controls, as well as the introduction of financial penalties under the Modern Slavery Act. Our overseas business risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in Xinjiang and urges them to consider their corporate responsibilities when making investment decisions.