Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the study by Arpita Ghosh, Heather Flowe and James Rockey Estimating excess mortality due to female genital mutilation, published August 2023, and (2) the number of avoidable deaths resulting from female genital mutilation (FGM); and of the organisations which receive FGM aid grants from the UK, how many provide medical assistance to women and girls suffering life-threatening complications as a result of FGM, including severe bleeding, obstructed labour, and infection.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is very interested in the study conducted by the University of Birmingham, estimating the excess mortality due to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Officials are meeting with authors this month to discuss the findings.
The UK funds the Support to the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM: Phase 2 programme (ALM). The programme funds a Model Health Facility (MHF) in Narok, Kenya, which provides direct medical assistance to women and girls suffering because of FGM. The ALM programme has developed a FGM-specific curriculum for healthcare professionals undergoing pre-service training, equipping them to contribute towards the prevention of FGM and improving healthcare services for women with FGM-related complications. The MHF trained 239 faculties and 2,534 students across Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Senegal by October 2024.
The UK also funds the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM through which 86, 823 women and girls received healthcare services related to FGM last year.
In 2024, the Sudan Free from FGM: Phase 2 programme provided 97,601 women and girls with health-related services to mitigate, prevent or respond to a combination of FGM, Gender-Based Violence and Child Marriage. In addition, 206,407 women and girls received mental health and psychosocial support.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India regarding the admission of stateless Rohingya children to schools.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We are looking into reports of Rohingya refugee children in India unable to access schooling. The British High Commission in New Delhi and our diplomatic network across India engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society. India is also a priority country in the UK Government's International Education Strategy and we are committed to building on the education partnership between the UK and India. In parallel we continue to raise concerns about discrimination of Rohingya minorities both within and outside of Myanmar. Our joint statement with international partners on 1 February condemned the persecution and discrimination against all religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar, and since 2017 the UK Government has provided over £52 million in cash assistance, including for education provision, for Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine state.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent reports they have received on the whereabouts of Sombath Somphone.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
There are no recent reports from the Lao authorities on the whereabouts of Sombath Somphone. During a bilateral meeting with the UK's Minister for the Indo-Pacific in 2023, the Lao Government stated that they were continuing to investigate the disappearance but had no new information.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to counterparts in Laos regarding the fate of civil society activist Sombath Somphone.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We remain very concerned as to the whereabouts of Mr Sombath Somphone. The UK regularly raises the disappearance of Sombath Somphone bilaterally and through the UN Human Rights Council. Most recently, on 15 December 2024 our Embassy in Laos publicly raised the disappearance and continued to push for a thorough and impartial investigation into this case. We intend to continue to raise the case at the highest levels and to continue to stay engaged with Sombath's family who are still based in Laos.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the case of civil society activist Sombath Somphone at the UN's fourth Universal Periodic Review of Laos on 29 April.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK will continue to use the UN Human Rights Council as a platform to raise the case of Sombath Somphone and other human rights cases. In the upcoming Universal Periodic Review in April, the UK will urge the Lao Government to follow and implement the recommendations from Member States. This includes undertaking impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations into all enforced disappearances, including Sombath Somphone.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Iran concerning the execution sentences of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are aware of the reports relating to the death sentences of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani. We have repeatedly called on Iran to establish a moratorium on executions, including at the UN Human Rights Council and UN Third Committee last year. We continue to raise human rights issues directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran, and are committed to working with international partners to expose Iran's application of the death penalty in multilateral fora.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the M23 rebel group taking control of Goma; and whether they intend to call on Rwanda to withdraw support to the M23 rebels and withdraw from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the UN Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls.
The Foreign Secretary has spoken with President Kagame and President Tshisekedi to call for immediate de-escalation and a return to diplomatic talks. The UK has been at the forefront of encouraging regionally-led peace efforts, including the Luanda and Nairobi Processes. The joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) Summit in Dar es Salaam 7-8 February committed to resuming dialogue and negotiations with all state and non-state parties and supporting this with AU-appointed facilitators, as well as calling for improved humanitarian access.
In the UK's statement on the situation in eastern DRC, we called for the immediate withdrawal of all Rwandan Defence Forces from Congolese territory. We have been clear with Rwanda that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the interim government of Bangladesh to strengthen security in and around Rohingya refugee camps.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is committed to improving the security of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and we regularly engage with the Interim Government in Bangladesh about security in and around Rohingya refugee camps. In November 2024, during Minister Wests' visit to Bangladesh, she discussed the situation of Rohingya refugees with Chief Adviser Yunus. The UK Government continues to work closely with UN agencies and the Interim Government in Bangladesh to provide basic services to Rohingya refugees while they remain in Bangladesh. UK funding (£405 million since 2017) is providing life-saving assistance including food, repairs to shelters and water and sanitation infrastructure, healthcare and community-based protection services for women and children.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Thailand regarding Uyghur asylum seekers detained there.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The United Kingdom has raised the issue of the Uyghurs detained in Thailand with the Thai authorities on multiple occasions, most recently in January 2025. The United Kingdom remains committed to upholding the principle of non-refoulement, and has repeatedly urged other countries to honour their obligations in line with international law, and not to force people to return to a country where they are likely to face torture or ill treatment.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take in response to reports of abductions of Rohingya refugees from camps in the Teknaf area of Bangladesh.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to support Rohingya refugees and the communities which host them. In Bangladesh, this includes engaging with the UN and non-government organisations to address protection risks. We are closely monitoring the reports of abduction of Rohingya refugees in Teknaf. We continue to engage with the Interim Government in Bangladesh and other partners on the security situation in the camps, including on the need to improve policing in the camps. As a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, we have provided £405 million to support the Rohingya and host communities since 2017.