Written questions by Wilson.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Cultural and Educational Programs on UK soft power in Ireland.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of British Council programs in Northern Ireland on that country; and whether she plans to support the continuation of those programs.

The British Council plays a crucial role supporting the UK's interests around the world, including in Northern Ireland, supported by its work in education, arts and culture, and promoting the English language. The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of UK (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral assistance to Pakistan on (i) improvements in freedom of religion or belief and (ii) protection of minority communities.

The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all in Pakistan, and we regularly raise the rights and safety of religious minorities with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels. UK assistance to Pakistan is delivered through trusted partners, subject to due diligence and regularly reviewed; it supports work that promotes interfaith dialogue and tackles online hate speech, helping protect vulnerable minority communities. We will continue to urge Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Pakistani counterpart on the denial of bail to Nadeem Masih; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help tackle the impact of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws on freedom of religion or belief for religious minorities.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 3 October to question 75585.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Malaysian counterpart on the protection and support of Rohingya refugees.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response provided on 10 February to Question 110802.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February to Question 110802 on Malaysia: Rohingya, whether (a) enforcement mechanisms, (b) monitoring arrangements and (c) safeguards have been established following her representations to the Government of Malaysia.

The UK is a strong supporter of international efforts to assist Rohingya refugees and to work towards a safe, sustainable and dignified solution to their displacement.The UK regularly raises the Myanmar crisis and the need to assist Rohingya and other refugees with Malaysia and other neighbouring countries. Malaysia is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention but runs its asylum and refugee process in collaboration with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.In January 2026, the Malaysian government introduced a centralised biometric registration system for refugees and asylum seekers. The UK is working with international partners to encourage Malaysia to build appropriate safeguards into its registration system and broader asylum and refugee process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations they have made to the government of Algeria regarding restrictions on the freedom of worship of the Ahmadiyya Muslims.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 October 2025 in response to Question 83261.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support international monitoring and accountability mechanisms on freedom of religion or belief in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's approach to freedom of religion or belief, announced on 8 July 2025, and officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans. We work with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions, including on freedom of religion or belief. We continue to support the UN Special Rapporteur and his mandate to document human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Upholding human rights and basic freedoms are not only a moral imperative but also essential for building a stable, inclusive and prosperous country for all Afghans. 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 Indian counterpart on the protection of civilians, including members of the Muslim community.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 November 2025 in response to Question 90911.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Cameroon authorities concerning the recent kidnapping and detention of Christian clergy in the Northeast region.

The UK condemns the kidnappings of Catholic priests and others in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, including 6 priests who have now been released. The UK Government monitors the human rights situation in Cameroon closely and discusses the issues in the Anglophone regions with a range of interlocutors, including at the highest levels of the Cameroonian Government. We continue to call for inclusive dialogue which addresses the root causes of the crisis and urge all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution. We also advocate for the protections of all vulnerable communities through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of increased prison restrictions for human rights activist Zhang Zhan; and what diplomatic steps she has taken with international partners to help ensure her release.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 October to Question 81324.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she had with international counterparts concerning ongoing reports of (a) detention and (b) killing of the Falun Gong in China.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 April to Question 43452.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of her policies of the recent murder of 20 people following an attack on a Christian-run hospital in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he received on 24 November in response to Question 91327.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the attack on a Christian-run hospital in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We condemn the horrifying attacks by Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Healthcare facilities, hospitals, and other humanitarian centres must never be targeted. We remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that those responsible for human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable. We have raised the actions of the ADF repeatedly at the UN and have sanctioned them under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. UK Ministers and senior officials regularly raise the importance of protecting civilians with the Government of DRC. We continue to work through UN bodies and other multilateral fora to promote and protect these rights.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she had had with international counterparts on the recent rise of violence against Christian communities in Hama, Syria.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 18 September to the question 74583.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her international counterparts on reports of the (a) detention and (b) killing of the Falun Gong in China.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 April 2025 to Question 43452.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on reports of attacks against Christian communities in eastern China; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure the protection of those communities.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 14 October to question 77079.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Village Piro Chak, Pakistan, on 28 September 2025; and whether she has had discussions with her Pakistani counterpart on this matter.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 October to question 83844.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Cuban authorities on the detention of religious leaders; and what steps she is taking to ensure the promotion of religious freedom in the country.

The UK remains committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. No one should live in fear because of their faith. Our relationship with Cuba allows for frank dialogue, including on matters on which we do not agree. We continue to raise concerns where we have them, as we did through an open letter from the former Foreign Secretary in December 2024 to Pastor Lorenzo, expressing solidarity and calling on the Cuban authorities to release him. We were delighted to hear of his release in January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that overseas farmers and workers involved in UK agricultural supply chains are receiving living incomes.

The UK Government is committed to advancing free and fair trade around the world that is inclusive, sustainable and reduces poverty. To do this, the UK supports a range of initiatives to drive inclusive growth and create more and better jobs at scale, including in agricultural supply chains.Such initiatives include the recently concluded Work and Opportunities for Women (WOW) programme, which aimed to advance women's economic empowerment in global supply chains. In Kenya, WOW supported over 300,000 tea farmers, over 80% of whom reported improved productivity and income through climate-resilient practices and diversified livelihoods.