Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
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 attacks on places of worship for Christian communities in Ethiopia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain concerned about attacks on places of worship in Ethiopia, and their impact on civilians. We note the 4 November statement of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia condemning recent attacks on Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim communities. We continue to call on all parties to engage in dialogue to address the underlying causes of conflict. Through our Human Rights and Peacebuilding Programme, the UK supports dialogue efforts by local peacemakers, women's groups and the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia. The UK also supports the investigative capacity of Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to follow up on reports of violations affecting civilians.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed visit to China later this month is planned to be proceeded with irrespective of the outcome of His Majesty’s Government’s determination of the planning application for China’s new embassy.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister's travel will be confirmed in the usual way.
This Government is taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking in collaboration with the Government of Nigeria to address violence and discrimination affecting Christians in northern Nigeria.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 27 November 2025 (HCWS1105).
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Nigerian counterpart on the recent abduction of students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure their release.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 November 2025.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she had had with her counterpart in Bangladesh on recent targeted attacks on St Mary’s Cathedral and St Joseph’s School in Dhaka; and what steps she is taking to help ensure the protection of Christians in Bangladesh.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We condemn all acts of violence in Bangladesh, including those on 7-8 November, and we regularly raise issues of justice, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Bangladesh's Interim Government.
In February 2025, the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, discussed these issues on her visit to Bangladesh, and during her visit on 13-14 November, the Minister of State for International Development and Africa highlighted to Chief Adviser Professor Yunus the importance of democratic transition, human rights and reconciliation.
The UK's commitment to these issues is also reflected in our £27 million Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme in Bangladesh, which aims to protect civic space, foster inclusive dialogue and address tensions that can lead to violence.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions has he had with the Palestinian Authority on ensuring that content which promotes hatred is excluded from the Authority's school curriculum.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 29 October to question 79968.