Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs what recent discussions she has had with international partners on the (a) (i) targeting and (ii) arrests of religious minorities and (b) forced closures of places of worship in Algeria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. On 21 October, I met Foreign Minister Attaf and emphasised the importance of promoting FoRB and interfaith dialogue, and offered the UK's support in that effort. Our Embassy in Algiers also remains in regular contact with religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for freedom of expression for religious minority communities in Algeria.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of (a) the killing of 15 Christians in the village of Marera, Mozambique on 1 August 2025 and (b) other recent attacks on Christians in Mozambique; and what discussions she has had with the Government of Mozambique on promoting religious freedom in that country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is aware of a series of attacks by Islamic State Mozambique on civilians and security forces in the Chiure area in July and August of this year. The UK regularly engages with authorities and religious leaders as well as peacebuilding and humanitarian agencies both in the capital, Maputo, and Northern Mozambique (Cabo Delgado and Nampula), to address the problems of violence and instability. We also support programmes that support peacebuilding and resilience to violent extremism in the region. Ongoing challenges for religious communities remain, as Christian and Muslim places of worship continue to be affected. We are working multilaterally and bilaterally to defend Freedom of Religion or Belief around the world.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has held with the Governor of St Helena on his signification of the Saint Helena Civil Litigation (Costs) Ordinance 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This legislation is currently subject to an ongoing judicial review. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. The role of the Governor of St Helena in relation to legislation is set out in the St Helena Constitution.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has met with the Government representative of Turks and Caicos to discuss (a) the fatal mass shooting in Turks and Caicos in late July and (b) further domestic security.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I remain in close contact with the Premier and the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands following the abhorrent shooting in July. Together, we are continuing to invest in improving policing and border security to address complex national security threats and protect the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I spoke to the Premier and Governor on 22 September to discuss these issues. The UK has provided over £9 million in security support over the past two years, including coastal surveillance systems, police boats, contracted firearms officers and criminal investigators.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help make (a) military, (b) police and (c) healthcare training in the UK more accessible to members of the Overseas Territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to strengthening the resilience and capabilities of the Overseas Territories across defence, policing, and healthcare.
In defence, I recently met members of both the Cayman and Bermuda regiments and observed their training. The Ministry of Defence provides tailored training and capacity-building support to the Overseas Territory Defence Regiments and other agencies, including a permanent staff instructor and short-term training teams delivering specialist instruction in areas such as maritime capability and marine engineering.
We are continuing to work to expand access to UK police training for Overseas Territories police services. This ensures that Overseas Territories benefit from the latest policing standards and expertise, including from the College of Policing. We also support the Overseas Territories through a range of specialist agencies, including the NCA.
In healthcare, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with NHS England and Overseas Territory Chief Medical Officers to facilitate Managed Education Partnerships between NHS Trusts and the Overseas Territories. These partnerships offer access to e-learning resources and opportunities to observe in NHS hospitals. The UK Health Security Agency's Overseas Territories Public Health Programme also provide training, certification, and a range of Continuous Professional Development opportunities in health and public health. Additionally, the Royal College of Nursing, in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), provides structured support in mental health and quality improvement to nurses in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Saint Helena.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet with the Government representative of Gibraltar to ensure a future of self-determination.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I recently had the honour of representing the UK Government at the National Day celebrations in Gibraltar and was able to deliver a letter to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar from the Prime Minister in which he was clear about the UK Government's steadfast commitment to UK sovereignty of Gibraltar, our enduring support for the "double lock", and the principle of self-determination which is central to the UK's enduring relationship with Gibraltar.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet with the Government representatives of (a) Bermuda and (b) St Helena to strengthen dialogue between her Department and the governments of these respective territories.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I met the Premier and the Governor of Bermuda and other representatives during my visit to Bermuda in September. I look forward to welcoming the elected leaders and representatives of the Overseas Territories to the Joint Ministerial Council in London in November, including representatives of the new Government of St Helena formed following their general election last month. My officials and I continue to work in close partnership with the Governments of Bermuda and St Helena, as with all the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the (a) US Department of State report entitled Venezuela 2024 Human Rights Report, published on 12 August 2025 and (b) UN Human Rights Council report entitled Detailed findings of the independent international factfinding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, published on 14 October 2024.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns the continued erosion of human rights in Venezuela, and we have repeatedly called on the Venezuelan authorities to uphold human rights and cooperate fully with international mechanisms, including in our published statement to the Human Rights Council on 22 September.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of recent attacks on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to (a) protect the Christian community and (b) promote religious freedom in the country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn the horrifying attacks by Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We have raised the actions of the ADF in the UN repeatedly and have sanctioned them under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. UK Ministers and senior officials, including our Ambassador in Kinshasa, regularly raise the importance of protecting civilians with the Government of DRC. We continue to remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that those who have committed human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable. The UK Special Envoy for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) plays a critical role in promoting FoRB, through global diplomatic engagement, our engagement in multilateral fora, and UK and programme funding. The UK will continue to work through UN bodies and other multilateral fora to promote and protect these rights in the DRC.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote religious freedom in Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Afghanistan is a focus country in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) new approach to freedom of religion or belief, announced by the UK Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, on 8 July. FCDO officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, most recently in August. We continue to support the UN Special Rapporteur and his mandate to document human rights abuses in Afghanistan, including against minority groups. Without truly inclusive governance that reflects the religious, ethnic, gender and cultural diversity of Afghanistan, we will never see an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours.