UK ‘mustn’t benefit from slave labour goods’ – MP

BRITAIN is in danger of becoming a “dumping ground” for products made by modern-day “slaves”, the Government is to be warned.

Foreign Affairs committee chair Alicia Kearns will this week demand action to ensure China’s Uyghur population is not exploited in the production of solar panels used in the UK.

She says our transition to green energy must not come “off the back of slavery and genocide”.

There is international alarm at reports more than 100,000 Muslims are subject to forced labour in China, and at allegations that they are made to produce polysilicon for solar panels.

Tory MP Ms Kearns has secured a Commons debate on Tuesday. She will push for the UK to follow the US and EU, and bring in import controls to stop goods made with Uyghur forced labour reaching these shores. She wants offending companies barred from operating in this country.

“The UK is fast becoming a global outlier and dumping ground for solar panels made with materials mined and processed by Uyghur slaves. It does not have to be this way,” Ms Kearns said.

Rahima Mahmut, of the Stop Uyghur Genocide campaign, said: “The Chinese government is carrying out egregious human rights abuses that amount to genocide.”

And Sian Lea, of Anti-slavery International, said: “We urgently need to transition to clean energy. But we cannot allow this crucial transition to be built on an acceptance of and complicity in human rights abuses.” According to the US government, “China is the world’s largest producer of solar-grade polysilicon and over 50 per cent of the country’s production takes place in Xinjiang” – home to around 12 million Uyghurs.

Chris Hewett, chief executive of industry body Solar Energy UK, said: “The solar industry condemns and opposes any abuse of human rights.as soon as we became aware of the situation in Xinjiang, we took action immediately.

“With the Solar Stewardship Initiative, the UK and EU solar industry is leading the field in seeking transparency.”

A Government spokesman said: “We are committed to stamping out modern slavery. Our approach scrutinises every step of the procurement process and the Procurement Act gives us strengthened powers to exclude suppliers.”