Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution (1) the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Equalities Minister, and (2) any political advisor to the Government, made to (a) the foreword, and (b) any sections, of the report of the independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, prior to its publication on 31 March.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The terms of reference for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities were set by the Government and published on 16 July 2020. They are available online on GOV.UK. The Commission submitted its independent report to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Equalities on 31 March 2021.
The report is the work of the independent Commissioners. Ministers and political advisers to the Government did not contribute to the report.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government when drafts of (1) the foreword, and (2) any sections, of the report of the independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities were first seen by (a) the Prime Minister, (b) the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Equalities Minister, (c) any Cabinet Minister, and (d) any political adviser to the Government.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The terms of reference for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities were set by the Government and published on 16 July 2020. They are available online on GOV.UK. The Commission submitted its independent report to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Equalities on 31 March 2021.
The report is the work of the independent Commissioners. Ministers and political advisers to the Government did not contribute to the report.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the terms of reference for the independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities; and when were those terms of reference established.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The terms of reference for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities were set by the Government and published on 16 July 2020. They are available online on GOV.UK. The Commission submitted its independent report to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Equalities on 31 March 2021.
The report is the work of the independent Commissioners. Ministers and political advisers to the Government did not contribute to the report.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards appointing a reviewer to conduct the five-year review into the operation of sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
A Reviewer has not yet been appointed. I can however advise that discussions are taking place on the appointment of a Reviewer and the establishment of the five-year Review. Both the appointment of the Reviewer and the Review itself will be brought forward as soon as possible.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards arranging for the report into citizenship removal resulting in statelessness over the three-year period to 29 July 2018 that is required by section 40B of the British Nationality Act 1981.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The report required by Section 40B of the British Nationality Act 1981 relates to the Secretary of State’s use of the power to deprive an individual of British citizenship under section 40A(4A), which to date has not been used.
The next review of the power will be commissioned once a suitable person has been identified to undertake the review.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to support the establishment of, (2) to attend, and (3) to provide evidence to, the independent tribunal established by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC to examine whether the Uighur people are being subjected to genocide.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have serious concerns about gross violations of human rights occurring in Xinjiang and welcome any work that is rigorous, balanced and raises awareness of the situation faced by Uyghurs and other minorities in China. We are aware of this initiative by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, and will study any resulting report carefully.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding and recommendations of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales in its briefing paper Responsibility of States under International Law to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, China, published on 22 July.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the Bar Human Rights Committee report published on 22 July. We are carefully considering its findings. As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We regularly raise our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council in a joint statement with 27 other countries on 30 June.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken or are planning to take, following the recommendation of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales in its Briefing Paper Responsibility of States under International Law to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, China, published on 22 July, to request that an Advisory Opinion be sought from the International Court of Justice on the allegations highlighted in that paper.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the Bar Human Rights Committee report published on 22 July. We are carefully considering its findings. As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We regularly raise our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council in a joint statement with 27 other countries on 30 June.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken or are planning to take, following the recommendation of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales in its Briefing Paper Responsibility of States under International Law to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, China, published on 22 July, to support the call of the UN independent experts of 26 June for decisive measures to protect fundamental freedoms in China by (1) urging the government of China to invite mandate-holders, including those with a mandate to monitor civil and political rights, to conduct independent missions and to permit those visits to take place in an environment of confidentiality, respect for human rights defenders, and full avoidance of reprisals against those with whom mandate-holders may meet, (2) calling upon the UN Human Rights Council to act with a sense of urgency to take all appropriate measures to monitor Chinese human rights practices, and (3) establishing an impartial and independent United Nations mechanism or a Secretary-General Special Envoy, to closely monitor, analyse and report annually on the human rights situation in China, particularly, in view of the urgency of the situation in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the Bar Human Rights Committee report published on 22 July. We are carefully considering its findings. As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We regularly raise our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council in a joint statement with 27 other countries on 30 June.
Asked by: Lord Anderson of Ipswich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken or are planning to take, following the recommendation of the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales in its Briefing Paper Responsibility of States under International Law to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, China, published on 22 July, to invoke China’s international responsibility for alleged violations of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by engaging the inter-State dispute mechanism.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the Bar Human Rights Committee report published on 22 July. We are carefully considering its findings. As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We regularly raise our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council in a joint statement with 27 other countries on 30 June.