Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendations set out in the UN report entitled Towards torture-free trade: examining the feasibility, scope and parameters for possible common international standards, published on 30 May 2022.

The UK is committed to preventing and controlling the trade in goods that could be used for capital punishment or torture, and is a member of the Global Alliance for Torture-Free Trade.

Regulation (EU) 2019/125 of 16 January 2019, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment ("the Torture Regulation") includes prohibitions on the export, import, transit, brokering, training, and promotion/advertising of specified goods, which have no practical use other than for the purpose of capital punishment, or torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Torture Regulation has been retained in UK law following the exit from the EU.

The UK considers it is important at this time to remain flexible as to the nature of any future common international standards, at least until their potential scope and content become clearer. We welcome the UN report and will consider it with interest and encourage the UN to continue their work on this.