Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, sought advice from the Speaker after officials at the Chinese Embassy in London accused Members of Parliament and their Select Committee Reports as lies.
Following the publication of a report of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee which was led by Nus and explored links between UK business and the forced labour of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, an official at the Chinese Embassy in London had claimed on social media that allegations of slave labour in Xinjiang were a complete hoax and accused the Committee of spreading lies.
The language used could be considered threatening and Nus sought guidance from the Speaker on whether the official's comments went against the grain of allowing MPs and Committees to conduct their work without fear and whether accusing a Select Committee report of lies is also contempt of Parliament.
Nus Ghani said: “As I said in the Chamber, we should not allow foreign interference to challenge the House or a Select Committee or any Member of Parliament for doing what they were democratically elected to do. We must not turn a blind eye to what is happening in Xinjiang and hold China to account. It is deeply concerning that companies selling to millions of British customers cannot guarantee that their supply chains are free from slave labour. I know that Wealden residents would not wish to buy products that they knew were produced on the back of slave labour or those profiting from a genocide, and I will continue to press the Government for a tougher business policy framework. This is in line with the work the American Government is undertaking since they declared the mass orchestrated abuse of the Uygur as Genocide.”
