{"id":740,"date":"2022-03-22T15:07:54","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T12:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/?p=740"},"modified":"2022-04-03T22:17:17","modified_gmt":"2022-04-03T19:17:17","slug":"uk-considering-ban-on-nhs-procurement-of-chinese-goods-made-in-xinjiang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/?p=740","title":{"rendered":"UK considering ban on NHS procurement of Chinese goods made in Xinjiang"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"dcr-qpwrb4\" data-gu-name=\"border\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17igkm0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-zjgnrw\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\">\n<div class=\" dcr-10spv4l\">\n<p>Tory MPs want ministers to follow health bill amendment banning goods from regions with \u2018risk of genocide\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-pn0kqp\" data-gu-name=\"media\">\n<div class=\"dcr-krkkhw\">\n<div class=\"dcr-16n5mgq\">\n<figure id=\"d0baefaf-64ea-427a-a7b8-6a4cd3893c42\" class=\"dcr-13udsys\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1b267dg\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=17a0a9bbf8b14aa5a2104116ff5c7b2a 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 980px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=195d3e811a1bb99f828939ec1f2d57f8 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 980px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=700&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=4bdb8fd06aab3bd48959e443a679e560 1400w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 740px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=700&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=eee2d2f198569f2115f3733c357f064f 700w\" media=\"(min-width: 740px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=17a0a9bbf8b14aa5a2104116ff5c7b2a 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 660px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=195d3e811a1bb99f828939ec1f2d57f8 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 660px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=17a0a9bbf8b14aa5a2104116ff5c7b2a 1240w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 480px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=620&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=195d3e811a1bb99f828939ec1f2d57f8 620w\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=19c7a7f27958f164278aa87348179a48 930w\" media=\"(min-width: 375px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 375px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=0e69e5b2e32adaa7ab3a7f2f62823617 465w\" media=\"(min-width: 375px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=19c7a7f27958f164278aa87348179a48 930w\" media=\"(min-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=0e69e5b2e32adaa7ab3a7f2f62823617 465w\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=19c7a7f27958f164278aa87348179a48 930w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 1.25), (min-width: 0px) and (min-resolution: 120dpi)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=0e69e5b2e32adaa7ab3a7f2f62823617 465w\" media=\"(min-width: 0px)\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"dcr-1989ovb\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8759bcc8cd8d4d6664d64ce93c2ba4361919a963\/98_169_3423_2055\/master\/3423.jpg?width=465&amp;quality=45&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;dpr=2&amp;s=19c7a7f27958f164278aa87348179a48\" alt=\"Medical masks being manufactured\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1200\" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"dcr-w6u133\"><span class=\"dcr-19x4pdv\">A production line of medical masks at a factory in Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region of China.<\/span>\u00a0Photograph: VCG\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-1o781fl\" data-gu-name=\"lines\">\n<div class=\"dcr-krkkhw\">\n<div class=\"dcr-ss9mnu\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1038kzh\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"dcr-1aul2ye\" data-gu-name=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"dcr-krkkhw\">\n<div class=\" dcr-ss9mnu\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1eucl2a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fj5ypv\">\n<address aria-label=\"Contributor info\" data-component=\"meta-byline\" data-link-name=\"byline\">\n<div class=\" dcr-1mp5s8u\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/patrickwintour\" rel=\"author\" data-link-name=\"auto tag link\">Patrick Wintour<\/a> Diplomatic editor<\/div>\n<\/address>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-15yir0q\" data-print-layout=\"hide\">\n<div class=\" dcr-1ni4us3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"dcr-185kcx9\" data-gu-name=\"body\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2rh10c\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-j7ihvk\" tabindex=\"0\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ucgxn1\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">Ministers are looking \u201csympathetically\u201d at plans to stop the government buying health goods made in China\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/xinjiang\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Xinjiang<\/a>\u00a0province when the health and social care bill returns to the Commons later this month. The move would be a first sign that the government is willing to toughen its approach to authoritarian regimes in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">In an interview at the weekend, the prime minister,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/boris-johnson\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Boris Johnson<\/a>, said the west still needed to apply pressure on the Chinese government not to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<div id=\"sign-in-gate\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">A backbench amendment already passed in the Lords and sponsored by the former Conservative chief whip, Lord Blencathra, is gaining support across the political spectrum in the Conservative party, including some One Nation MPs, as well as traditional Tory opponents of the Chinese regime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">The amendment to the health and social care bill passed with cross-party support, but little fanfare, in the Lords earlier this month. It will be debated when the bill returns to the Commons, most likely in the week beginning 28 March.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"23297f2e-5a6a-4351-ab05-11382620ce2c\" class=\" dcr-1mfia18\" data-spacefinder-component=\"rich-link\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\">\n<div class=\"css-16cuuq6\" data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-4 | 4\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"\">\n<div class=\"css-s7oxzu\">\n<div class=\"css-ghyc83\"><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-q4dzvk\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/ca578c841bf9305ceea0288538a52c8e1689b67c\/0_576_8640_5184\/master\/8640.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=9665b10e85c7361f96d0d31bf2dc2f41\" alt=\"A demonstration in London in October protesting against China\u2019s treatment of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang.\" width=\"8640\" height=\"5184\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1d91meq\">\n<div class=\"css-m4qltb\">\n<div class=\"css-1gqsble\">Uyghurs subjected to genocide by China, unofficial UK tribunal finds<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-9g571g\">\n<div class=\"css-dobi02\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">It would ban\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/nhs\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">NHS<\/a> procurement from regions where the government believes there to be a \u201cserious risk of genocide\u201d. Ministers have already tried to buy off the rebels by proposing a review of health supply chains, but now may go further and promise not to procure goods from Xinjiang on grounds of risk of forced labour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">The Foreign Office has resisted any proposal that requires anyone save the international courts to decide unequivocally if genocide is taking place, including in Xinjiang. It has fiercely opposed the UK domestic courts, or ministers, being given that role.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">Sajid Javid, the health secretary, is said to be keen to clean up health supply chains, but may come under pressure from the Foreign Office not to do anything that disturbs relations with China at a sensitive time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">Yet pressures are also building for a tougher approach. At the weekend, in an interview with the Times, the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, said the west had in the past focused too much on cheap goods at the expense of freedom and security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">It is known that the government has bought hundreds of millions of pounds of medical equipment sourced in whole or part from China\u2019s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, despite\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2021\/aug\/22\/labour-says-ppe-contracts-must-not-go-to-xinjiang-firms-that-use-forced-workers\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">widespread reports of forced labour<\/a>\u00a0there \u2013 facts that are not denied by the government.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"8b843ad7-8902-46b4-9fa4-26d3feba9139\" class=\" dcr-1mfia18\" data-spacefinder-component=\"rich-link\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\">\n<div class=\"css-16cuuq6\" data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-10 | 10\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"\">\n<div class=\"css-s7oxzu\">\n<div class=\"css-ghyc83\"><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-q4dzvk\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/428d1fe9720c6c31e7a60500cb62aaccc1f7cd45\/0_463_3979_2387\/master\/3979.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=0ec116f739f4ae01791c0804006d21e6\" alt=\"Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen on a billboard in Yarkent County in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region\" width=\"3979\" height=\"2387\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-1d91meq\">\n<div class=\"css-m4qltb\">\n<div class=\"css-1gqsble\">Leaked papers link Xinjiang crackdown with China leadership<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-9g571g\">\n<div class=\"css-dobi02\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani said: \u201cI hope the government will take ownership of this important initiative. It is awful to think that PPE we have been wearing through this pandemic may have been made by Uyghur forced labour. We have a duty to protect the NHS from involvement in the heinous things done to Uyghur people. This amendment is a proportionate and reasonable way of keeping the UK away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">Blencathra\u2019s amendment was phrased so as not to require the UK to announce that there is genocide in Xinjiang, but that may not satisfy Foreign Office policy objections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">The UK government is already bound to assess its suppliers for a risk of slavery, and this extra duty would mandate that an assessment of a \u201cserious risk\u201d of genocide is performed by the government and taken into account during public procurement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1wj398p\">The amendment has the support of the British Medical Association, a strong advocate of public procurement as a means of protecting ethical standards.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tory MPs want ministers to follow health bill amendment banning goods from regions with \u2018risk of genocide\u2019 A production line of medical masks at a factory in Urumqi in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[35,33,24,25,36,34,23,26],"class_list":["post-740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-cin","tag-doguturkistan","tag-eastturkistan","tag-genocide","tag-killerchina","tag-soykirim","tag-uyghur","tag-uygur"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":741,"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions\/741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uyghurmovement.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}