Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the use of Chinese-made solar panels in the UK sourced from companies using unethical supply chains.

The Foreign Secretary and his officials are in regular contact with relevant Ministers and departments on matters of national security and foreign policy. The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses to engage with China in a way that reflects the UK's values. For example, last year we introduced new guidance on the risks of doing business in Xinjiang, enhanced export controls and announced the introduction of financial penalties under the Modern Slavery Act. This year, the Procurement Bill will enable public sector contracting authorities to reject bids and terminate contracts with suppliers which are known to use forced labour themselves or anywhere in their supply chain. Additionally, the UK's main solar industry trade association is leading the industry's response by developing and piloting the Solar Stewardship Initiative to further develop a responsible, transparent and sustainable solar value chain.