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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Genocide trade bill row: Peers propose new amendment in Lords debate | Genocide trade bill row: Peers propose new amendment in Lords debate |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Trade Bill has gone back and forth between the two Houses of Parliament. | The Trade Bill has gone back and forth between the two Houses of Parliament. |
| Peers are making another attempt to amend the government's Trade Bill - hoping to stop deals being done with countries who have committed genocide. | |
| The bill has gone back and forth between Lords and MPs due to a row over the best way to tackle the issue. | The bill has gone back and forth between Lords and MPs due to a row over the best way to tackle the issue. |
| The government got the backing of MPs - despite a Tory rebellion - to give select committees a greater role in examining allegations of genocide. | The government got the backing of MPs - despite a Tory rebellion - to give select committees a greater role in examining allegations of genocide. |
| But Lord Alton wants claims looked at by people with judicial experience. | But Lord Alton wants claims looked at by people with judicial experience. |
| Speaking in a debate on the bill in the House of Lords, the crossbench - or independent - peer said: "We failed to predict genocide, we failed to prevent genocide, we failed to protect victims of genocide and we failed to prosecute perpetrators of genocide. | Speaking in a debate on the bill in the House of Lords, the crossbench - or independent - peer said: "We failed to predict genocide, we failed to prevent genocide, we failed to protect victims of genocide and we failed to prosecute perpetrators of genocide. |
| "The genocide amendment is a modest attempt to begin to address some of those failings." | "The genocide amendment is a modest attempt to begin to address some of those failings." |
| But Trade Minister Lord Grimstone said the government's existing plan was a "reasonable, proportionate and substantive compromise" that would "ensure that the voice of parliament is to be heard". | |
| Narrow government win in genocide trade bill vote | Narrow government win in genocide trade bill vote |
| Who are the Uighurs? | Who are the Uighurs? |
| Will the UK refuse trade deals over human rights? | Will the UK refuse trade deals over human rights? |
| A number of MPs, including many Conservative backbenchers, have been pressing the government to take a tougher stance on human rights abuses - especially in light of the treatment of the Uighur Muslim population in China. | A number of MPs, including many Conservative backbenchers, have been pressing the government to take a tougher stance on human rights abuses - especially in light of the treatment of the Uighur Muslim population in China. |
| The House of Lords previously backed an amendment put forward by Lord Alton to give British courts the right to decide if a country was committing genocide - which would then impact the decision over whether to sign a trade deal with them. | The House of Lords previously backed an amendment put forward by Lord Alton to give British courts the right to decide if a country was committing genocide - which would then impact the decision over whether to sign a trade deal with them. |
| His proposal got the public backing of a number of Conservative MPs and looked set to lead to a rebellion in the Commons. | His proposal got the public backing of a number of Conservative MPs and looked set to lead to a rebellion in the Commons. |
| But the government used parliamentary procedure to prevent MPs voting on the amendment and instead managed to secure enough support for its own measure. | But the government used parliamentary procedure to prevent MPs voting on the amendment and instead managed to secure enough support for its own measure. |
| This would allow a parliamentary committee to trigger a Commons debate and vote if it decided there were "credible reports" that genocide had been committed by a state the UK was negotiating a trade deal with. | This would allow a parliamentary committee to trigger a Commons debate and vote if it decided there were "credible reports" that genocide had been committed by a state the UK was negotiating a trade deal with. |
| New panel | New panel |
| Lord Alton had been expected to re-table his amendment as the bill returned to the House of Lords - in a process known as "ping-pong" - but he has instead put forward a new one. | Lord Alton had been expected to re-table his amendment as the bill returned to the House of Lords - in a process known as "ping-pong" - but he has instead put forward a new one. |
| His latest proposal would keep the select committee report on genocide as the first step, but it would then be referred to a panel of five MPs and Lords who had held "high judicial office" in the past - such as former High Court or Court of Appeal judges. | His latest proposal would keep the select committee report on genocide as the first step, but it would then be referred to a panel of five MPs and Lords who had held "high judicial office" in the past - such as former High Court or Court of Appeal judges. |
| During the debate on his amendment, Lord Alton accused the government of "total inadequacy" on its response to genocide. | During the debate on his amendment, Lord Alton accused the government of "total inadequacy" on its response to genocide. |
| He said peers would send the "strongest possible message that this House will not remain indifferent or silent to the very worst atrocity crimes nor will your lordships be satisfied with a slight of hand". | He said peers would send the "strongest possible message that this House will not remain indifferent or silent to the very worst atrocity crimes nor will your lordships be satisfied with a slight of hand". |
| John Sudworth reports from Xinjiang, where all filming and reporting by foreign media is tightly controlled | |
| Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green Party peers all spoke to back the amendment, praising Lord Alton for "doing the right thing". | |
| Lord Grimstone praised the "powerful and reasoned" debate, but he said existing actions by the government - including targeted measures on supply chains - were already demonstrating the "reputational and economic costs to human rights violations". | |
| He called on peers to "rally around the sensible amendment" agreed in the Commons rather than backing the new one. | |
| Peers are now voting on Lord Alton's amendment. If approved, it will then return to the Commons again for another vote. |