Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL13780):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to their announcement on 12 January about the introduction of measures to help ensure that UK organisations are not complicit in, nor profiting from, human rights violations in Xinjiang, what progress they have made in (1) seeking to amend the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to introduce financial penalties for organisations which do not publish annual modern slavery statements, and (2) ensuring that UK organisations are not complicit in, nor profiting from, the human rights violations in Xinjiang, in particular within the cotton industry. (HL13780)
Tabled on: 02 March 2021
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
The implementation of the measures announced by the Foreign Secretary on 12 January in respect of Xinjiang is underway. Her Majesty’s Government’s Overseas Business Risk guidance was updated on the day of the announcement, providing detailed written guidance to UK businesses investing in, or with supply chains in, Xinjiang. The Government has also launched a programme of proactive engagement with UK organisations to support them in ensuring they are not contributing to human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The review of export controls as they apply to Xinjiang is in progress, and Parliament will be updated once it has been completed. The introduction of financial penalties under the Modern Slavery Act will require primary legislation, which will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.
Date and time of answer: 12 Mar 2021 at 14:27.
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Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL13778):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the motions passed by the Canadian House of Commons on 22 February and Dutch Parliament on 25 February to declare that the treatment of the Uighurs in Xinjiang amounts to a genocide; and what plans they have to make such a determination (HL13778)
Tabled on: 02 March 2021
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
We have taken note of the motions passed by the Canadian House of Commons and the House of Representatives of the Netherlands relating to Xinjiang. The Government remains gravely concerned about the human rights situation in the region. We continue to play a leading role in holding China to account, working closely with international partners, including Canada and the Netherlands.
It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.
Date and time of answer: 12 Mar 2021 at 14:23.
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