Question
Our colleague, the Chairman of Ways and Means—I notified her that I was going to mention her—is sanctioned by China. She was sanctioned because she constantly raised the horrific human rights abuses against the Uyghurs. The Minister is pointing out all the reasons why he cannot answer questions and cannot say anything, but one thing he could do is to say to the new Prime Minister and the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero that, having said there would be an ethical procurement policy, there should be a pause on processed renewables materials that come from China, because there appears to be plenty of evidence that human rights abuses of the Uyghurs are taking place to produce them. Will he commit to doing that?
Answer
The right hon. Gentleman is a seasoned commentator on these matters and I always listen very carefully to what he has to say. Let me restate what I have said from this Dispatch Box on many occasions: it is totally unacceptable that any Member of this House has been sanctioned by China, or by any other nation for that matter. He will know that there are a range of processes in place across government to guide Secretaries of State in their decisions, whether in respect of investment or procurement. Sometimes there have to be difficult trade-offs, but in the end the first priority of this Government—and, I would hope, any Government—is our national security. We will make sure that our policies reflect that.33% vibes
Verdict: RED (15/100)
This reply only partly answers the question and does not give a committed position. It does not say whether the Minister will pass the call for an import pause to the Prime Minister or the Energy Secretary, and it does not address a pause on Chinese processed renewable materials or the Uyghur human rights concern. Its main content, on sanctions for MPs, is not what was asked, and its references to decision-making, trade-offs and national security stop short of a firm answer, so the asker would likely need to follow up for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister commit to telling the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero that there should be a pause on imports of processed renewable materials from China, given the alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs in their production? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never says whether the Minister will pass a call for an import pause to the Prime Minister or the Energy Secretary, and it never addresses a pause on Chinese processed renewable materials or the Uyghur human rights concern. It only gestures at decision-making processes, 'difficult trade-offs', and national security as a priority, without committing to any action or giving a reason for not acting. Its most prominent content (sanctions on MPs) is off the point of the item. |