Written questions by Jones.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the situation of (a) the Buddhist community and (b) other religious minorities in Myanmar; and what discussions he has had with his Laotian counterpart on ASEAN's efforts to tackle the (i) violence and (ii) humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all. We are aware of the continued vulnerability of religious minorities in Myanmar, and we condemn identify-based violence on any ground. The UK continues to raise our concerns about ethnic and religious discrimination in multilateral fora, notably the UN. We continue to co-fund the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and the Myanmar Witness programme, which collect evidence of human rights violations, including identity-based violence. As a Dialogue-Partner the UK continues to support ASEAN's regional leadership on the crisis in Myanmar, including the efforts of Laotian Chair and Special Envoy H.E Alounkeo Kittikhoun. In July, the Foreign Secretary attended the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Vientiane and met Laos' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saleumxay Kommasith, where they discussed the crisis in Myanmar.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to secure the release of religious minorities accused of conversion activities in India.

The UK continues to champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The British High Commission in New Delhi consistently monitors human rights, including the use of anti-conversion laws across India. However, the UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India, and we discuss all elements of our relationship, including human rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief, and raise issues where we have them.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Uganda on (a) the proposed national religious and faith organizations policy 2023 and (b) the potential impact of that policy on religious freedom.

The UK is committed to freedom of religion or belief for all. Through our High Commission in Kampala, we maintain a regular dialogue with religious institutions and those working to promote freedom of religion and belief. The Ugandan Constitution enshrines the 'freedom to practise any religion', providing for freedom of belief, the right to practice and promote any religion, and the right to belong to and participate in the practices of any religious organisation in a manner consistent with the constitution. We will continue to raise any issues directly with the Ugandan Government and other interlocutors.