Written questions by Shannon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of allegations that prisoners in Bahrain have been subject to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 July in response to Question HL8922, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bahrain and, where appropriate, the independent oversight bodies on a range of human rights and governance matters - those with broader societal impact and individual cases. This has included the cases of Abduljalil al-Singace and Hasan Mushaima. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has made representations to the Government of Bahrain on the detention and health of Hassan Mushaima and Abduljalil al-Singace.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 July in response to Question HL8922, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:The UK regularly engages with the Government of Bahrain and, where appropriate, the independent oversight bodies on a range of human rights and governance matters - those with broader societal impact and individual cases. This has included the cases of Abduljalil al-Singace and Hasan Mushaima. The UK remains committed to supporting reforms in Bahrain.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia plans to declare independence from Algeria on 14 December 2025.

We were aware of the intention of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia to make a declaration of independence on 14 December, which they have since done. I refer the Hon. Member to the responses I provided in February regarding the situation in Kabylia and confirm that we continue to monitor developments closely.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of the persecution of Christians in Kashmir.

The UK is committed to promoting and defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) as a core element of our foreign policy, and India is one of the UK's priority countries for promoting FoRB. Where we have specific concerns, we raise them with the Government of India.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the UN Human Rights Council’s recent urgent call for an inquiry into violations in El Fasher, Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on our efforts to ensure that there is proper accountability for all atrocities committed in this conflict.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on the violent crackdown on protestors in Nepal.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has consistently expressed the UK Government's support for democracy and fundamental freedoms in Nepal. In response to the violence and restrictions on peaceful protest that occurred in September, the UK joined international partners (Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America) in issuing a statement on 8 September, reaffirming our strong support for the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression and urging all parties to exercise restraint. Our Ambassador in Kathmandu has also reiterated the UK's commitment to democratic principles, the rule of law, and the protection of free speech and peaceful assembly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of reports concerning ongoing forced organ harvesting of the Falun Gong in China; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure the cessation of unethical transplant practices.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given in the House of Lords to question HL8230 on 20 June, which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This Government stands firm on human rights, and we raise our concerns at the highest levels. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).This Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora. We continue to closely monitor the situation for Falun Gong practitioners and maintain a dialogue with NGOs and international partners on the issue.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterparts on the ongoing bonded labour of religious minorities in brick kilns.

The UK Government recognises that serious exploitation persists in Pakistan, including bonded labour in sectors such as the brick kiln industry, where religious minorities are disproportionately affected. We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan, including the rights and safety of minority communities. I have consistently engaged on these issues, most recently with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. Through UK-funded programmes such as Aawaz II, we have supported awareness campaigns, improved access to justice, and strengthened child protection systems to help tackle exploitative practices. We will continue to press for effective enforcement of Pakistan's laws prohibiting bonded labour and to advocate for the protection of vulnerable groups.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in China on ensuring that opposition candidates are not (a) unfairly imprisoned and (b) at risk of violence.

The UK Government stands firm on human rights in China, and we continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations and will continue to call on China to uphold its commitments under international law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of her policies of the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by the US.

The UK Government does not comment on our partners' decisions on individual designations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of levels of humanitarian support to Syria over the last 5 years.

Since 2011, Syria has seen one of the worst and most protracted humanitarian crises in the world. The annual UN humanitarian appeals have been consistently underfunded and the trend has worsened in recent years, with just 36.6 per cent of the appeal met in 2024. The UK has consistently been one of the biggest contributors to those appeals, but it is clear that humanitarian support overall has not been adequate to address the scale of the crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Vietnam.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are closely monitoring the impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Vietnam. Current assessments indicate significant disruption to affected communities, including six confirmed fatalities and extensive damage to homes, public infrastructure, and livelihoods, particularly in coastal and low-lying areas.In October, the UK allocated £500,000 in humanitarian assistance to Vietnam to address the devastating impact of typhoons Bualoi and Matmo. We continue to engage with international partners and local authorities to monitor evolving requirements and to ensure that assistance is delivered effectively to those in greatest need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with Bangladeshi counterpart on the (a) proposed Islamist rally in Dhaka on 15 November and (b) protection of the Ahmadiyya community in that country.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided for question 87224.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Estonian counterpart on reports that Russian jets entered Estonian airspace.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to question 81195 on 20 October 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recent murder of an Alawite school teacher in Homs, Syria.

We remain deeply concerned about incidents of violence in Syria, including the reports of Reham Hammouda's murder. We continue to advocate for an inclusive political transition, a greater focus in social cohesion, and protection of the rights of all Syrians, regardless of religious or ethnic background. When I met the Foreign Minister and Justice Minister in Damascus in August, I underlined the need for the Syrian Government to ensure that the justice system serves all Syrians.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Vietnamese counterpart on reports of attacks against (a) Khmer Krom human rights defenders and (b) Theravada Buddhist monks.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to question 85114.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help protect Nigerian Christians.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 October to Question 81931.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of (a) attacks on places of worship in Sudan and (b) the attack on a mosque near the Abu Souk camp on 19 September 2025; and what recent steps she has taken with international partners to ensure the protection of (i) places of worship and (ii) religious communities in that country.

As the Minister of State for International Development and Africa stated on 12 October, we are extremely alarmed by recent developments at El Fasher and have called for "an immediate end to the Rapid Support Forces' siege and a nationwide ceasefire to protect civilians and ensure full unimpeded humanitarian access."The UK remains committed to promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials have met with both authorities in Port Sudan and RSF representatives, urging them to uphold the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. We have also condemned attacks on places of worship in a UK-led resolution that was passed by majority vote on 6 October this year at the UN Human Rights Council. This resolution renewed the mandate of UN Fact-Finding Mission - the only independent accountability mechanism documenting human rights violations, including FoRB, in Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the level of threat from Iran.

This issue was addressed at length in the Minister for Security's statement to the House on 4 March: Iranian State Threats, Col 195, Vol 763.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her US counterpart on a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The UK fully supports President Trump's efforts to end this war and we are in regular contact with the US, Ukraine and our other partners to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary most recently discussed our efforts in Ukraine with Secretary Rubio on 7 October, and before that on 18 September during President Trump's State Visit.