Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterparts on increases in the number of arrests of (a) human rights defenders and (b) religious minorities in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has strongly condemned the arrest of human rights defenders and religious minorities in Iran. In the past ten months, the UK was integral to the delivery of two Iran human rights resolutions. The first, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, called on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release persons arbitrarily detained for the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including human rights defenders, journalists and all those who remain under detention for taking part in peaceful protests. The second, adopted by the Human Rights Council in April 2025, renewed the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, and renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission to investigate a wider breadth of violations, and to establish the facts, circumstances and structural causes of such violations, including discrimination on grounds of religion or belief. Our Ambassador in Iran and I continue to raise human rights directly with the Iranian Government.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken in response to kidnappings and killings of Christians in the North-East and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on ensuring the delivery of (a) baby formula and (b) other essential humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. We highlighted the critical situation for Gaza's children at a session of the UN Security Council which we co-called on 16 July, and at the International Development Committee on 16 July. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar about the humanitarian situation in Gaza on 12 July. The UK continues to demand that a full and unhindered resumption of aid into Gaza takes place immediately. Israel must immediately allow the UN and aid partners to safely deliver aid at scale and in line with humanitarian principles.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, in the context of recent statements by the Israeli Government on the future governance of the territory; and what steps the Government is taking to support the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly opposes the expansion of Israel's operations in Gaza. We consider that any attempt to annex land would be unacceptable. As I said to the house on 14 May, we are calling on the Government of Israel to lift its block on aid immediately, and to enable the UN and humanitarians to save lives. We have been clear that humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool or military tactic, and that UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. Ministers have raised concerns about Israel's aid block with their Israeli counterparts, and on 13 May the UK, along with European partners, called an urgent session of the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on the Chagossian people of transferring sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius; and whether the Government has made an assessment of the feasibility of establishing a protected reservation or similar arrangement on the islands to enable the return and settlement of the native Chagossian population.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have worked hard to ensure this agreement reflects the importance of the islands to Chagossians. We will finance a new trust fund for Mauritius to use in support of the Chagossian community. We will also work with Mauritius to start a new programme of visits for Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. Mauritius will be able to develop a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to (a) protect and (b) promote the freedom of religion or belief in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding.
We condemn Iran's restrictions against FoRB. We were proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity and to ensure rights are upheld. We will continue to raise the issue directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his EU counterparts on potential restrictions on (a) Hallow and (b) other religious apps.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We continue to champion the right to FoRB, whilst promoting tolerance and mutual respect, through our engagement in multilateral fora, including through our position at the UN and Article 18 Alliance.
The development and use of religious apps presents both opportunities and risks for the enjoyment of human rights, including FoRB. It is important that we champion the positive potential of technology, whilst taking action to mitigate risks. We do this by working with international partners and through multilateral fora including the UN and regional organisations.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the closure of churches.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The Foreign Secretary spoke with President Tshisekedi on 2 February to express his deep concern about the events unfolding in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and call for urgent de-escalation. The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). We use our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora to advocate for the protection of all vulnerable communities in conflict, including religious minorities. We recognise that when FoRB is respected, communities can build trust and understanding, which in turn supports mutual prosperity and peace.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Open Doors 2025 World Watch List on levels of religious persecution.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK Government notes the launch of the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 report. The UK strongly believes that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We continue to champion the right to freedom of religion or belief, whilst promoting tolerance and mutual respect, through our engagement in multilateral fora, including through our position at the UN and Article 18 Alliance. We also use our global diplomatic network to engage directly with governments. In November last year, we lit up FCDO buildings to commemorate 'Red Wednesday', in solidarity with Christians, and all people across the world facing discrimination due to their religion or belief.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help tackle anti-Semitism.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
Antisemitism has no place in our, or any, society and the UK has a long-standing track record of fighting it. Last year, the UK contributed to drafting new Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, which were launched in Buenos Aires in July and endorsed by 36 countries. We currently hold the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and are demonstrating global leadership in tackling antisemitism and promoting Holocaust remembrance, education, and research. We are championing the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our bilateral work and engagement in multilateral fora.