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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Kenyan counterpart on targeted killings of Christian workers in Mandera County in June; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure the protection of religious minorities in that country.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is aware of frequent attacks in the north-eastern border regions, most of which are attributed to Al Shabaab. The UK-Kenya Security Compact, signed in July 2025, commits UK support to Countering Violent Extremism, which will help protect vulnerable communities, including religious minorities. The UK also provides support to the Government of Kenya to degrade Al Shabaab influence in Mandera (and the wider Kenya - Somalia- Ethiopia borderlands) through the UK's Integrated Security Fund (ISF) funded Deris Wanaag programme, which aims to enhance peace and stability efforts in the East Africa. We will maintain a constructive dialogue with the Government of Kenya on these issues.

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 discussions she has had with international partners on Nigeria’s ongoing use of blasphemy legislation; and what steps she is taking to ensure religious freedom is promoted in the country.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Dialogue on human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), remains a vital part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria, and the UK Government is concerned by the use of blasphemy laws that undermine human rights including FoRB in Nigeria.

Our High Commission in Abuja regularly engages with the Nigerian Government and religious leaders on freedom of religion and belief, including on blasphemy cases.   Additionally, the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) is building capacity in Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including religious communities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty to include all of her Department's responsibilities.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve, or have served, in the Armed Forces, and their families, including the bereaved, will be treated fairly and not disadvantaged in accessing public and commercial goods and services as a result of their military service. It also allows for special provision, when justified, for those who have sacrificed the most, such as the bereaved and injured. The Covenant Legal Duty helps promote better outcomes for the Armed Forces community when accessing key public services of healthcare, housing, and education, and this will soon be extended to transport.

The Department for Transport is well-equipped to meet its obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty, ensuring that armed forces personnel and their families do not face undue disadvantage when accessing transport services.

The Department will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the Covenant’s Statutory Guidance and implementation.

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