HL Deb 06 April 1995 vol 563 cc33-4WA
Lord Braine of Wheatley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will publish in the Official Report, or place in the Library of the House, statements made by the British Government opposing coercion in the implementation of the Chinese family planning programmes.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

We have made it clear on many occasions that we do not support any population activities in which there is an element of coercion of individuals to practice family planning or to accept any particular type of fertility regulation procedure. I refer my noble friend to my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary's observations on a number of petitions presented before the other place about the UK's support for the United Nations Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation activities in China. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Lord Braine of Wheatley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will seek to obtain from the Government of the People's Republic of China the number of "officials" in China who were punished during the last year for which figures are available for (a) using coercion in the population policy; (b) failing to meet their targets or quotas.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

We do not know whether such figures are available. However, we will seek to obtain—through international organisations, and the British Embassy in Peking—such information as the Chinese Government is prepared to provide.

Lord Braine of Wheatley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will encourage the Government of the People's Republic of China to repeal Directive No. 7 of 1983 (the technical policy on birth control); and

Whether they will ask the Government of the People's Republic of China why none of the provincial family planning regulations adopted since 1979 warns against coercion or specifies penalties for officials guilty of coercion.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

We use all channels available to us in our attempts to influence Chinese population policies so that they promote children by choice, not chance, and encourage the Chinese authorities to reflect this approach in their directives and regulations.