Questions & Debate

Newly elected Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary British-Taiwan Group, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, speaks in the Motion to take note on Stars and Dragons: the EU and China
Read his contribution to the debate in the Hansard report of 9 June 2010
Winding up, Lord Teverson commented: "I take the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, about the death penalty in China. That should have been covered far more strongly. We did not cover Taiwan because this report was broad enough as it was, but the plain fact is that Europe has no effect on the strategic relationship and the risk of that conflict between Taiwan and China. That is an entirely Chinese-United States issue and, regret it or not, the EU has no leverage in any defence way over it."

On 23 April 2008 Sir Nicholas Winterton, tabled an Early Day Motion to support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organisation

“That this House regrets that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has opposed including Taiwan's participation as an observer to the World Health Assembly (WHA) on its agenda since 1997; notes that the 61st WHA will convene between 19th and 24th May 2008; recognises that disease knows no boundaries or politics and there should be no gap or weak spot in the world's disease prevention network; contends that Taiwan should not become the only gap in the global public health network; applauds Taiwan's strong desire to work with international health institutions through medical co-operation and emergency humanitarian work; further applauds the valuable medical assistance and humanitarian aid provided by Taiwan's public and private sectors worldwide exceeding US$450 million over the last decade; further notes that Palestine the Holy See, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the International Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union have been granted observer status to the WHA; regrets that the Government has not supported Taiwan's WHA observer status or WHO membership; welcomes the fact that Taiwan would be willing to accept an arrangement to be a WHA observer so as to engage in direct access to and communication with the WHO before attaining WHO membership; strongly encourages the UK Government to support Taiwan's justifiable bids for WHO membership and preliminary WHA observer status; and urges the WHO Director-General to invite Taiwan as a WHA observer before granting WHO membership to ensure no gap in the global public health network.”

On 2 May 2007 Sir Nicholas Winterton tabled an Early Day Motion on Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organisation.

"That this House regrets that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has opposed including Taiwan's participation as an observer to the World Health Assembly (WHA) on its agenda since 1997; notes that the 60th WHA will convene between 14th and 23rd May 2007; recognises that the Holy See, Palestine and the Sovereign Order of Malta have been granted observer status at WHA meetings; further notes that Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian sent a letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in April 2007 expressing Taiwan's hope to apply for membership; acknowledges that the UK Government supports the principle enshrined in the WHO constitution that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being; welcomes the East Asia Report published in August 2006 by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee recommending that the Goverment set out its attitude towards full WHO membership for Taiwan; supports Taiwan's justifiable bids for WHO membership and preliminary WHA observer status to achieve meaningful participation so that Taiwanese medical and public health officials can fully participate in meetings and working groups under WHO auspices; further recognises that Rule 3 of the WHA Rules of Procedure stipulates that the Director-General may invite states having made application for membership to send observers to sessions of the WHA; and strongly encourages the Government to support Taiwan's WHO membership and preliminary WHA observer status and to urge the WHO Director-General to invite Taiwan as a WHA observer before granting WHO membership to ensure Taiwan's meaningful participation. "                                Read more....

On 2 May 2006 Lord Faulkner of Worcester asked Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the application by Taiwan for observer status at the World Health Assembly.

"Lord Faulkner of Worcester began by declaring an interest as co-chairman of the British-Taiwanese parliamentary group.
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon replied: My Lords, we strongly support the principle enshrined in the WHO constitution that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being. Observer status, by itself, does not automatically confer any rights or benefits on the holder: these must be negotiated separately. The EU has therefore chosen instead to press for more practical and meaningful measures to allow Taiwan to participate in the activities of the WHO.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer and for her restatement of the Government's commitment to the WHO convention. However, she will understand that the decision by Her Majesty's Government to join the majority in the EU in going against Taiwan's application for observer status at the WHA's agenda in January is unfortunate, particularly as Japan and the United States have supported its inclusion. Given that entities such as the Holy See, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Palestine all have observer status, can she confirm that nothing in the WHO's constitution prevents states such as Taiwan achieving that status? Finally, what does she mean by the further action that the EU has in mind? "      Read more....

On 8 July 2004 Lord Faulkner of Worcester introduced a short Debate in the House of Lords on relations between Britain and Taiwan.

"Let us be clear how important to United Kingdom interests Taiwan is. Taiwan is the UK's 20th-largest export market worldwide. Our exports were worth £940 million in 2003, an increase of 6 per cent on 2002. Between January and April this year, our exports to Taiwan increased by 20.4 per cent from the same period in 2003. It is a hugely important target market for British trade internationally. Some 70 per cent of all Taiwanese manufacturing investments in Europe are in the UK, with 175 firms from Taiwan having a presence here. Between them, they maintain more than 10,000 jobs. There are now 14,000 Taiwanese students pursuing their studies in the United Kingdom, which is almost 30 per cent of the total Taiwanese overseas student market. They make a great difference to the financial viability of many educational courses, particularly in our newer universities."                       Read the full debate....