Written questions by Jones.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the treatment of Christian (a) leaders and (b) communities in Nicaragua.

We share widespread international concern about the relentless suppression of human rights in Nicaragua, including in relation to freedom of religion or belief, which the UK remains committed to championing for all. We continue to urge the Nicaraguan authorities to re-establish democratic freedoms through our engagements in country and with the Nicaraguan Embassy in London, and through our public statements in international fora. We most recently raised these concerns on 28 February 2025 at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made any recent representations to Nigeria on the security situation for Christians in northern Nigeria.

The UK Government regularly advocates for the protections of all vulnerable communities, including religious minorities, through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as raising Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) directly with the Government of Nigeria. In his meeting with the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives on 22 January, the Minister for Africa raised the importance of FoRB and resolving intercommunal conflict and tensions. Additionally, through our Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme (SPRiNG) the UK is providing £38 million to help tackle the root causes of intercommunal conflict and reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including by supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists, and strengthening conflict early warning, management and response.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department uses to determine which countries are monitored for violations of freedom of religion or belief.

The UK 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 fora including the UN and Article 18 Alliance, our bilateral work, working collaboratively with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith and our programme funding.Our network of diplomatic posts around the world monitor and report on human rights, including FoRB. We also draw on other information sources including the regular reports of the United Nations Special Rapporteur for FoRB.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international partners on fostering interfaith tolerance in Myanmar in light of the recent military attacks on churches, monasteries, and other religious sites; and what plans his Department has to integrate education on religious freedom and tolerance within its initiatives in the region.

The UK supports the protection of all religious minority groups in Myanmar. We consistently raise concerns about the discrimination of religious minorities and their places of worship in international fora, including co-sponsoring a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April 2024, which underlined the importance of addressing the root cause of violations against religious minorities. Additionally, we fund the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and preserve evidence of violations and abuses, including atrocities against religious minority groups. Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is incorporated within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's broader human rights training programme across the region, including workshops on religious engagement for our staff.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the call for investigations into the recent violence in Latakia, Syria, on religious communities by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

We welcome the interim authorities' establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence. We are in regular discussion with our UN and NGO partners, as well as with other international partners, to get a fuller understanding of the impact of the violence and to assess needs and responses. As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians, set out a clear path to transitional justice, and make progress towards an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions and will continue to monitor closely the treatment of all civilians in Syria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his European counterparts to help tackle anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe.

There is no space for religious intolerance in pluralistic, modern societies. We are championing the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. The Special Envoy for FoRB met with European and US counterparts in the margins of the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in March. We actively participate in the Article 18 Alliance - bringing together 38 Member States, 26 of whom are European, to discuss actions our nations can take so that together we can promote respect for FoRB worldwide. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials attended the Article 18 Alliance and International Contact Group meetings in Geneva in March. We will continue to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside the persecution of other groups.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the use of artificial intelligence to target minority religious communities on freedom of religion or belief globally.

The UK 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 development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and risks for the enjoyment of human rights, including FoRB. It is important that we champion the positive potential of technology, whilst taking action to mitigate risks. We do this by working with international partners and through multilateral fora including the UN and on FoRB specifically, through our engagement in the Article 18 Alliance, which has a dedicated workstream on AI and FoRB.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recent killing of Imam Muhsin Hendricks in South Africa; and whether he has had discussions with his international counterparts on the protection of (a) religious and (b) LGBTQ+ communities from targeted violence.

The tragic murder of Imam Muhsin Hendricks on 15 February strengthens our resolve to continue implementing our policies on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and LGBT+ rights to protect, support and promote individual human rights for all. The UK has been, and will continue to be, a vocal and visible supporter of LGBT+ rights and FoRB in South Africa. The Minister for Africa expressed publicly the UK's sadness at the death of Imam Hendricks on 19 February and acknowledged his role as a courageous spokesperson for LGBT+ rights and gender equality in South Africa.Globally, we remain firmly committed to working with our international partners to promote tolerance and mutual respect in relation to FoRB and LGBT+ rights through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. For example, the joint Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and private philanthropy Equal, Safe and Free Fund is supporting grassroots LGBT+ organisations across Africa, and the UK Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, will attend the UN Human Rights Council 58th session in Geneva to discuss FoRB with international partners in the coming weeks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the joint letter of 31 July 2024 issued by 18 United Nations Special Mechanisms, reference AL IRN 14/2024, on the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran.

The UK condemns Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief. Baha'is face particularly acute repression by the authorities in Iran, which includes but is not limited to unfair arrest, detention, and lengthy prison sentences. We are aware of the UN Special Rapporteurs' joint letter - the increased targeting of Baha'i women is an alarming escalation. We are committed to working with international partners to hold Iran to account for its repression of the Baha'is, and other religious minorities, including at the UN Third Committee. The UK raised ongoing discrimination against minority groups during Iran's Universal Period Review on 24 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation for the Shia Muslim community in Parachinar.

Promoting the rights and safety of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the importance of religious tolerance and harmony, as well as the impact of rising extremism on vulnerable groups, when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November. The British High Commission continues to raise the security situation for Shia Muslims in Parachinar at the highest levels. UK programmes are also promoting the rights of religious minorities, including in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Our Aawaz II programme promotes interfaith harmony by convening influential community and faith leaders and minority representatives to resolve local issues, particularly as religious tensions arise.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support Nigeria to tackle (a) marginalisation of minority faith communities, (b) criminalisation of blasphemy and (c) other systemic violations of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.

The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to protect freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential for a free and open society. Our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB, is an important part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria. In addition, the UK government funds the provision of legal and judicial expertise for those countries wishing to make legislative changes to protect FoRB, including addressing blasphemy laws. In Nigeria, ongoing security challenges, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence, also impinge on the rights of FoRB. We work closely with the Nigerian security forces on tackling violent extremism, while the UK provides support to locally-led solutions to tackle the complex root causes of intercommunal violence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much humanitarian aid his Department has allocated to Nigeria for 2025; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that this aid reaches vulnerable communities in (a) Benue, (b) Kaduna and (c) Plateau.

In the Financial Year 2024/25, UK humanitarian support to Nigeria totalled £33.5 million in life-saving assistance. We have reached approximately one million people with our Humanitarian and Resilience Programme (HARP), reducing mortality and increasing resilience, focused on people with the most severe humanitarian needs. At present, our humanitarian aid is not targeted at Benue, Kaduna or Plateau states. The UK is also a donor to the Start Fund which provides rapid financing in response to small to medium scale crises including helping people affected by conflict in central Nigeria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of restrictions on (a) education, (b) work and (c) public life placed on women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan; and what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to help tackle violations of women's rights and freedom of religion or belief in Afghanistan.

We condemn the Taliban's draconian restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, which seriously affect their everyday lives. These restrictions and those on freedom of religion and belief and hamper Afghanistan's development. We support the initiative to refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and are working with international partners ways to hold the Taliban accountable, including supporting the UN Special Rapporteur, Richard Bennett. On 20 January, I convened a meeting with senior representatives from the UN and influential countries to underline the importance of addressing Afghanistan's challenges together.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last made representations to his Chinese counterpart on the persecution of Uyghur Muslims.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including in Xinjiang, where China continues to persecute and arbitrarily detain Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities. The Foreign Secretary has raised this in every meeting with his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including during his visit to China on 18 October. The Prime Minister and Chancellor similarly raised human rights with their counterparts (President Xi and Vice Premier He respectively).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports that Christians are being forced to convert to Buddhism in the Naga self-administered zone of Myanmar; and what steps his Department is taking to help tackle religious persecution in Myanmar.

The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion for all in Myanmar, including in the Naga self-administered zone. We remain concerned by the Race and Religion Laws in Myanmar, which are used to discriminate against non-Buddhists, including Christians. We are deeply troubled by the increasing reports of religiously motivated violence, including the destruction of places of worship and the forced conversions of Christians to Buddhism. We provide funding to the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and have established the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and preserve evidence of violations and abuses, including atrocities against religious minority groups.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide funding to help tackle antisemitism in other countries.

Antisemitism has no place in our, or any, society and the UK has a long-standing track record of fighting it.The UK currently holds the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), through which we have worked with IHRA's 35 member states and permanent international partners to promote Holocaust education and research and combat antisemitism across the globe.Under our presidency we also funded IHRA's annual €50,000 Yehuda Bauer Grant, which finances a project aiming to undertake new and significant research on the Holocaust and antisemitism.The FCDO additionally administers the John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for overseas projects focused on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on helping to improve freedom of religion or belief of minority Buddhist communities in Southeast Asia.

The UK 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 multilaterally, bilaterally and through programme funding. In Southeast Asia, for example, as a member of the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion and Belief in Vietnam, the UK has often worked to raise cases of concern with Vietnamese authorities in this area. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts in Southeast Asia and across the globe.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress he has made on supporting (a) Rakhine Muslim and (b) Christian communities in Myanmar.

We are committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all. Since 2017, the UK has provided over £48 million in aid including cash assistance and water, sanitation and hygiene services to the Rohingya and other Muslim minorities in Rakhine state. We continue to stress the need for de-escalation in Rakhine and for civilians to be protected. This was recently reiterated in a joint statement with international partners in January 2025. We continue to condemn the abuses taking place against Myanmar's religious minorities, including its Christian population. In response to the Myanmar military's worsening aerial attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including churches, we announced seven sanctions in October 2024, targeting suppliers of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar military.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies on freedom of religion or belief of the imposition of legal restrictions on the Burqa in public spaces in Switzerland; and whether he plans to take steps to help promote freedom of religion or belief in Switzerland in the context of that legislation.

The UK continues to champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. We are working to uphold the right to FoRB through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora and in our important bilateral work. These are ultimately matters for the democratic Swiss authorities but we engage with Switzerland on a range of issues both bilaterally and multilaterally- including human rights and FoRB issues, this includes during the Swiss Chairing of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as well as through our shared membership of the Council of Europe and OSCE.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help secure the release of Ahmadiyya Muslims detained under blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

The UK condemns the persecution of religious minorities and marginalised religious communities in Pakistan. We work to protect and promote human rights in Pakistan through our diplomatic engagement and programme funding. This includes regularly raising co...