Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of reported attacks on religious communities and places of worship in Ukraine by Russian forces on freedom of religion or belief in that country.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), as well as the damage done to places of worship and religious significance. Following Russia's extension into the occupied territories in Ukraine, its domestic repression of FoRB sees Orthodox Church of Ukraine clergy, Crimean Tatars, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Protestant Churches suffer repression and physical abuse. This includes the prohibition of religious literature and arbitrary arrests and detentions, where religious figures are reportedly subjected to torture. Jehovah's Witnesses have been banned altogether. Russia's war is not just an attempt to destroy Ukraine's democracy, but their identity and culture - extending to Ukraine's religious and belief communities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what military support they are providing to the government of Rwanda for (1) training, (2) technology, (3) tactics, and (4) weapons licensing, and whether they have reviewed these arrangements following the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK has condemned the offensives by M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force as an unacceptable violation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of the UN Charter. On 25 February, the UK issued a statement following the Foreign Secretary's visits to Kinshasa and Kigali announcing several measures impacting Rwanda. These included a suspension of future defence training assistance to Rwanda, revoking relevant extant licences for the armed forces in Rwanda, and a pause in direct bilateral financial aid to the Government of Rwanda, excluding support to the poorest and most vulnerable.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what financial support, debt relief and development assistance they are providing to Rwanda, and what steps they will take to review these arrangements as a result of the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 revels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK has condemned the offensives by M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force as an unacceptable violation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of the UN Charter. On 25 February, the UK issued a statement following the Foreign Secretary's visits to Kinshasa and Kigali announcing several measures impacting Rwanda. These included a suspension of future defence training assistance to Rwanda, revoking relevant extant licences for the armed forces in Rwanda, and a pause in direct bilateral financial aid to the Government of Rwanda, excluding support to the poorest and most vulnerable.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Qatar about the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and support by Rwanda for M23 rebels.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is deeply alarming. We have been clear that there can be no military solution and call for meaningful engagement in peace processes. We are in close contact with a range of partners globally on eastern DRC, including Qatar. Ministers and senior officials hold regular meetings to discuss foreign policy issues with their Qatari counterparts.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the proposed the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act adopted by the Estonian Parliament on 18 June contravenes international standards and norms on the right to freedom of religion of belief, and whether they have made representations to the government of Estonia.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

His Majesty's Government has made no formal assessment of the Estonian Government's amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which has not yet received Presidential approval. The UK is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief for all and we work closely with international partners, including through the Article 18 Alliance, of which Estonia is a member, to champion freedom of religion or belief around the world. Estonia consistently scores highly on measures of freedom of religion or belief in public rankings, such as those of Freedom House. We have made no representations to the government of Estonia on the law under consideration.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Estonia.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

His Majesty's Government has made no formal assessment of the Estonian Government's amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which has not yet received Presidential approval. The UK is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief for all and we work closely with international partners, including through the Article 18 Alliance, of which Estonia is a member, to champion freedom of religion or belief around the world. Estonia consistently scores highly on measures of freedom of religion or belief in public rankings, such as those of Freedom House. We have made no representations to the government of Estonia on the law under consideration.

Found: Whitburn Bay; Baroness Fleet; Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill; Lord Knight of Weymouth; The Lord Bishop of Leeds

Found: Fleet; Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill; Lord Holmes of Richmond; Lord Knight of Weymouth; The Lord Bishop of Leeds

Found: International Schools Pro bono adviser to a not-for-profit media literacy education start-up The Lord Bishop of Leeds

Found: Fleet; Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill; Lord Holmes of Richmond; Lord Knight of Weymouth; The Lord Bishop of Leeds

Found: Q139 The Lord Bishop of Leeds: You seem very confident about age- verification systems, and yet it is

Found: Fleet; Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill; Lord Holmes of Richmond; Lord Knight of Weymouth; The Lord Bishop of Leeds

Found: Fleet; Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill; Lord Holmes of Richmond; Lord Knight of Weymouth; The Lord Bishop of Leeds