Written questions by Shannon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu on freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria.

The UK Government proactively raises cases where blasphemy legislation has been used to restrict human rights with the Nigerian authorities and opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, including in the case of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. We will continue to raise Mr Sharif-Aminu's case as he appeals his sentence. Dialogue on human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), is a vital part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential to a free and open society.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to promote the John Bunyan Fund for Freedom of Religion and Belief.

The UK Government champions, and remains strongly committed to, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund (JBF), the designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects, has a budget allocation of £460,720 in financial year (FY) 2024/25. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, including Christians, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help stop the persecution of Christians in South East Asia; and if he will have discussions with his ASEAN counterparts on protecting (a) Christians and (b) churches.

The UK Government champions, and remains strongly committed to, freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral organisations including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), our bilateral work, and our programme funding. The UK continues to hold countries to account on their FoRB commitments and obligations, including South East Asian nations, through our engagement with the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and at the UN Human Rights Council. This work is mutually reinforcing of our wider human rights efforts, underpinning our belief that human rights are universal.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the protection of people non-adherent to the majority religion.

Promoting the rights and safety of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I underlined the importance of religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November. In a meeting with Pakistan's Interior Minister on 20 November, the British High Commissioner and I also raised these issues.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reports of disappeared Tibetans on freedom of religion in that region.

We note reports, including one from UN Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups in November 2024, further evidencing China's repression of the people of Tibet. We raise human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang and Vice Premier He respectively).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps in response to reports of religious oppression in Kabylie, in the context of the designation of Algeria by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom as a Special Watch List country.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe. The British Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when the Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. The Embassy remains in regular contact with religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression, including in Kabylie and regarding the operation of the Protestant Church of Algeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports concerning religious oppression in Kabylie, including the closure of churches in the region.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe. The British Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when the Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. The Embassy remains in regular contact with religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression, including in Kabylie and regarding the operation of the Protestant Church of Algeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his counterparts in Algeria and (b) representatives of the Kabylie people on the political and human rights situation in Kabylie.

The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe. The British Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when the Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. The Embassy remains in regular contact with religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression, including in Kabylie and regarding the operation of the Protestant Church of Algeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to help secure the release of hostages held by the Fulani militia in Nigeria in the last six months.

The UK Government condemns all violence, including kidnaps, across Nigeria. Kidnapping for ransom is sadly a widespread practice in Nigeria, particularly in the North West where banditry is prevalent. Kidnappings often have financial rather than religious motives and communities of all religions and beliefs are vulnerable. Through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), a Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAKFC) has been established to support cooperation between Nigeria's security and justice agencies. This will both reduce the harm to victims and hold those responsible to account. Through the SDP, the UK also continues to deliver support such as training to strengthen the capability of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle (a) propaganda, (b) disinformation, (c) persecution and (d) other forms of transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party against Falun Gong practitioners.

Within China, the environment for freedom of religion or belief is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This government will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief for all abroad, for example through bilateral engagement. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor all raised human rights recently with their counterparts.Within the UK, attempts by foreign governments to intimidate, harass, or harm our residents will not be tolerated. We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports of freedom of religion or belief violations in India.

The UK Government condemns any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. Concerns about the rights and opportunities of some religious minorities in India are widely reported, and our High Commission in New Delhi and network of Deputy High Commissions across India track these issues closely.We take this seriously. Dialogue concerning this is an important aspect of the UK-India relationship, and where we have specific concerns, we raise them directly with India. Our network in India also meets regularly with religious representatives from different faith communities, and, on 18 October, I held a roundtable with a range of faith leaders in Delhi to discuss issues facing religious organisations today.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect Ahmadi places of worship worldwide.

The UK Government is committed to championing the right to freedom of religion or belief, for all, everywhere. We are aware of reports of the desecration of Ahmadi Mosques in Pakistan and continue to monitor the situation. The Minister for the Middle East underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and also discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. In response to the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska on 16 January, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister, on 23 January. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Iraqi counterpart on the recent memorandum of understanding between BP and the Iraqi government on Iraqi oil fields.

The Foreign Secretary met with Prime Minister Sudani and Foreign Minister Hussein during their Guest of Government visit to the UK. The BP deal was not raised during these engagements. This was a commercial agreement between the Government of Iraq and BP. The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in Syria, development of the UK-Iraq security partnership, expanding trade (including £12.3 billion of export wins for UK companies announced during the visit) and cooperation on irregular migration. During their engagement, the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Hussein signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on Climate Change.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with Lord Hoffmann on the renewal of his tenure as a Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal judge; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this appointment on the Government's support for political freedom in Hong Kong.

Retired UK judges that choose to serve on Hong Kong courts do so under their own personal judgement, which is their right as private citizens. The UK judiciary and legal profession remain independent from the UK Government. It is for remaining retired UK judges to decide for themselves whether to continue their service in Hong Kong.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to provide humanitarian aid in Sudan.

The UK continues to provide humanitarian assistance to support people in Sudan and those who have fled the country. The UK has recently doubled its Official Development Assistance (ODA) this year in response to the conflict in Sudan to £226.5 million - the vast majority of which is spent on vital humanitarian aid including support for the regional refugee crisis. This funding includes support to key UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF who are providing life-saving food assistance in Sudan. We are also one of the largest donors to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) which delivers life-saving multi-sectoral support to communities across Sudan and is now piloting support to the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs). The UK also continues to support the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), including their work on emergency preparedness and response, protection of civilians, and providing life-saving healthcare across Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has plans to provide financial support to (a) local women-led initiatives and (b) community groups in Afghanistan.

In 2024/2025, we are providing £161 million for humanitarian and essential services support to the most vulnerable and marginalised Afghans, through trusted non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and UN agencies. We are committed that at least 50 percent of people reached with UK aid in Afghanistan will be women and girls. Through our contribution to the World Bank led Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF), we have supported a $20 million project of support to Afghanistan civil society. The project has supported NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) that improve basic service delivery and promote socio-economic empowerment of women and girls, including 100 women-led organisations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of humanitarian aid provided to help promote freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan is spent in-country.

The UK works to promote freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Pakistan through our diplomatic engagement and programme funding. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. The British High Commission also regularly raises FoRB issues at the highest levels. The UK-funded Aawaz programme supports both policy development and community empowerment to promote the rights of marginalised groups, including religious minorities. However, the UK Government does not ringfence UK Aid for FoRB programming in Pakistan, nor do we report UK Aid spending along religious lines.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help de-escalate violence against Christians in Nigeria.

The UK Government is committed to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). We do this through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as raising FoRB bilaterally with the Government of Nigeria and other influential parties. This includes advocating for the protections of all vulnerable communities including religious minorities. The UK also supports programmes working to address the complex root causes of intercommunal violence in Nigeria through locally led peace-building efforts. This support aims to reduce intercommunal tensions by improving access to security and justice, and natural resource management in specific areas across northern Nigeria. In addition, the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) works with Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and beliefs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of persecution of Christians in North Korea.

The UK is deeply concerned by reports from North Korean escapees, which tell of serious human rights offences and persecution of those who are caught practising religion. It is unacceptable that citizens face surveillance, imprisonment or even death because of their religion or belief. We will continue to raise human rights issues in all relevant meetings with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) officials through multilateral and bilateral channels. Following the DPRK's Universal Period review in November 2024 in which the UK raised the issue of freedom of religion, we remain committed to engaging with the DPRK on their approach to human rights.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in the new Syrian government on protecting the rights of minority religious communities in Syria.

The Foreign Secretary underlined the importance of an inclusive political process with interim Foreign Minister Al Shaybani during a meeting in Riyadh on 12 January. In December 2024, senior FCDO officials met with the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the interim Foreign Minister. They highlighted the need to protect the rights of all civilians, including religious minorities. We are closely monitoring the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We will continue to advocate for the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Syria and for an inclusive political transition.