Written questions by Glen.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Iraq on adults from religious minority communities in Iraq being assigned a religious status on civil status documents that does not reflect their chosen religion or belief.

The UK is firmly committed to protecting ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). It is against Iraqi law for adults, including those from religious minority communities, to be assigned a religious status that does not reflect their chosen religion or belief. Through our diplomatic presence, the UK regularly monitors and raises these issues with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government and engages actively with civil society organisations. The UK recognises Iraq as a FoRB priority country, and this is reflected throughout our programme work in Iraq.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with international counterparts on the case of Father Pereira; and what representations she has made to her Indian counterpart on freedom of religion or belief.

Our High Commission in New Delhi, along with our network of Deputy High Commissions, monitors the human rights situation in India closely, including issues affecting Christian communities. We also engage with civil society and faith leaders to support efforts to promote tolerance and respect between communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the state of freedom of religion or belief in Somalia; and whether this issue is systematically raised in the UK’s engagement with the Government of Somalia.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 6 August 2025 to Question 68009.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has established benchmarks for measuring improvements in freedom of religion or belief in Venezuela, including for religious and humanitarian actors and indigenous communities.

We continue to assess on an ongoing basis the restrictions in place on freedom of religion or belief in Venezuela, and other countries around the world, as well as the progress of efforts to remove them. Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right, and we should never accept anything short of full freedom as an acceptable outcome.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 October 2025 to Question 75586, whether safeguards, oversight mechanisms and conditions apply to UK assistance to Bangladesh to help ensure that such funding does not contribute to discrimination or persecution of Hindu minority communities.

All UK official development assistance (ODA) funded programmes operate under the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office's Programme Operating Framework, which requires robust controls, mandatory oversight, and compliance with cross‑government project delivery standards, alongside strengthened safeguarding due‑diligence measures and transparency obligations to ensure accountable, safe, and effective use of public funds.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Egyptian counterpart on the detention of Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq.

The UK champions freedom of religion or belief for all and, where appropriate, will raise these issues with the Egyptian authorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Venezuela on the (a) vandalism of the Cuasia Church and (b) death threats issued towards Fr. Juan Manuel León.

Protecting the Freedom of Religion or Belief is an important objective for the UK all over the world. As part of our efforts to press for a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela, we will reinforce the importance of ensuring that the rights of all Venezuelans are upheld, including members of the church.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps she has taken with the Government of Nicaragua on restrictions on the importation and distribution of religious materials; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those restrictions on freedom of religion or belief.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 November in response to Question 85308.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of recent attacks on Afro-Brazilian religious temples in Brazil; and what discussions she has had with her Brazilian counterparts on protecting freedom of religion or belief.

The UK is committed to protecting freedom of religion or belief, as guaranteed under international human rights law. During the G20 Energy and Environment Working Group in October, the Minister for Equalities met Brazilian Minister for Women Marcia Lopes to discuss challenges faced by marginalised communities. In the build-up to COP30 in November, the UK organised a visit for a group of MPs to a 'Quilombo', home to a community targeted with violence and discrimination. This and other Afro-descendant communities are supported by the Amazon Catalyst for Forest Communities (AMCAT) programme, which strengthens tenure security, territorial governance and personal protection for Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the Amazon Basin. The UK and Brazil remain committed to ensuring the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities are protected.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Indian counterpart on reports of recent forced burning of Bibles in the Rohtak State of Haryana.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer provided on 27 October in response to Question 83419.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Mexican Government concerning the proposed restrictions on the online expression of Catholic clergy; and what assessment she has made of the implications for freedom of religion or belief in Mexico.

The UK is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression globally. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials discussed these issues with the Mexican Government during the Mexico-UK Human Rights Dialogues in January 2024 and May 2025. We understand that the bill proposed in Mexico's Congress to limit online expression by religious groups was withdrawn by its author following his engagement with faith groups. We continue to monitor developments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Iranian counterpart on the imprisonment of Aida Najaflou; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure her release.

Further to the answer I gave on 29 October to Question 83265, we are concerned by Aida Najaflou's case and we continue to monitor the situation for Christians in Iran.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the airstrike on a Buddhist festival in Sagaing Region, Myanmar; and what diplomatic steps she is taking with international counterparts to help ensure the protection of civilians in that country.

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to question 75108 on 17 September.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on measures to provide support to the Hazara Muslim population in Afghanistan; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to ensure their protection.

Ministers do not engage with the Taliban, but Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, most recently in October. The Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions. We continue to support the UN Special Rapporteur and his mandate to document human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Upholding human rights and gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also essential for building a stable, inclusive and prosperous country for all Afghans.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recent death of Roman Catholic lay leader, Dr Carlos Cardenas Zepeda, in Nicaragua; and what steps she is taking with her Nicaraguan counterparts to ensure the improvement of detention conditions in the country.

As set out in the UK's statements at the UN Human Rights Council on 28 February and 23 September, the UK remains deeply concerned by the relentless attack on human rights in Nicaragua. We will continue to monitor developments closely and urge the Nicaraguan authorities to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of (a) targeted attacks and (b) instances of (i) forced conversion and (ii) imprisonment of (A) Christians and (B) other religious minorities in Afghanistan; and what recent representations she has made to the authorities in Afghanistan on these matters.

Afghanistan is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) freedom of religion or belief approach, announced on 8 July. FCDO officials regularly urge the Taliban to uphold human rights. We also engage directly with a range of Afghans to inform our policy and programmes. The UK Government supports the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate to document abuses, including those targeting religious minorities. Without inclusive governance that reflects Afghanistan's religious, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity, we will never see an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts to ensure the protection of (a) Yazidis, (b) Christians and (c) other religious and ethnic minority groups in Iraq; and what steps she is taking to ensure aid reaches displaced communities in northern Iraq.

The UK is committed to supporting displaced communities in northern Iraq. We fund quick impact projects and livelihood support activities through the International Organisation for Migration and, through our Building Peace and Stability in Iraq programme, fund the office of the UN Durable Solutions Adviser which leads the UN's strategic coordination efforts.The UK champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. On 8 July, the Government publicly set out its approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement including for countries navigating the impact of conflict, both past and present, such as Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.In July 2025, the former Minister for Human Rights and the UK Special Envoy for FoRB met with Mir Hazem Tahsin Beg, the Prince of the Yazidis. We also raise threats to minority faith communities in regular engagements with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and in multilateral fora. For example, at Iraq's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in June, we recommended that Iraq upholds the right for minorities to freely practice their religion or belief, without fear of persecution.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the authorities in Myanmar on the reported increase in attacks on the Rohingya community; and what steps he is taking with international partners to help ensure humanitarian aid reaches displaced minority communities.

The UK continues to condemn the Myanmar military regime's use of violence against civilians, including the systematic persecution and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Rohingya. In April, we co-sponsored a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar calling for the Myanmar military to fully respect and protect the human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including Rohingya and other persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities.Since 2017, the UK has provided over £108 million in support to communities in Rakhine, with an estimated £52 million in aid for the Rohingya and other Muslim minority groups. We are deeply concerned by the food security situation in Rakhine State and are working with international partners to improve humanitarian access to communities across the state.Through our humanitarian programme, we have reached 1.3 million people since 2022 in conflict affected areas across Myanmar with essential humanitarian support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic démarches his department has delivered to advance religious freedom during bilateral visits to Vietnam.

I pressed the Vietnamese Government to respect people's rights to speak freely, to meet in groups, and to practice their religion during my October 2024 visit to Vietnam. I followed up with my counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Hang, on 17 March and will keep raising this with Vietnam alongside our Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, David Smith MP. The UK-Vietnam Strategic Partnership includes cooperation on human rights, including concerns about religious freedom.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the decline of freedom of religion or belief for religious minorities under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) new approach to freedom of religion or belief, announced by the UK Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, on 8 July. FCDO officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, most recently in July. We continue to support the UN Special Rapporteur and his mandate to document human rights abuses in Afghanistan, including against minority groups. Without truly inclusive governance that reflects the religious, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity of Afghanistan, we will never see an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours.