Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on strengthening the Union.
Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on how our two governments are delivering, investing in Wales’s future and strengthening our union.
Through a record budget settlement for the Welsh Government, alongside our investment into Welsh rail, Growth Deals, Investment Zones, Freeports, Pride in Place Funds and our Defence Growth Deal for Wales – we are working together to improve public services, support communities, drive jobs, and deliver economic growth.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
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 her Egyptian counterparts on the potential impact of the inclusion of religious affiliation on national identity cards on people who convert to Christianity.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Egyptian Government has stated its commitment to protecting the rights and freedom of worship as well as the protections enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and we continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to mark the 200th anniversary of Catholic emancipation.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The 200th anniversary of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 will take place in 2029.
The Act removed many of the legal barriers to participation in public life for Roman Catholics and was an important milestone in the development of religious freedom in the UK.
While the Government currently has no specific plans to mark the anniversary, the Government engages with the Catholic Church along with a wide range of other Churches at national, regional and local level, and remains committed to valuing the contribution which Christians make to society.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
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 the Government of Uzbekistan on the (a) treatment of Christians and (b) reports of (i) arbitrary arrests and (ii) forced marriage in that country; and what steps she is taking with international partners to promote religious freedom in that country.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief for all. We highlight this issue at the UN, G7 and as a member of the Article 18 Alliance. Our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises human rights with the authorities and maintains a dialogue with local human rights groups. In Uzbekistan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review, the UK raised concerns over freedom of religion or belief amongst other human rights issues. We continue to seek opportunities to raise concerns at the UN and other international fora.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the reason for the increased number of asylum seekers in hotels on 30 June 2025 compared with the same date in 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government inherited a hotels policy which saw 400 hotels opened and a staggering £9million spent a day housing migrants across the country.
Instead of clearing the asylum backlog to reduce those costs, the previous government allowed asylum decision-making to fall by 70 per cent in their last months in office.
I have been clear that I will do whatever it takes to secure our borders and end the use of hotels. This includes exploring the use of Ministry of Defence sites to get people out of hotels fast.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the UK’s amphibious capabilities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Amphibious shipping remains critical to delivering Littoral Strike and supporting NATO and global crisis response. Following the Strategic Defence Review 2025, the Royal Navy is committed to enhancing its amphibious capabilities through investment in new amphibious shipping, Littoral Response Groups and the ongoing modernisation of the Commando Force. Our ambition is to modernise this capability through the Multi Role Strike Ship programme. Final decisions on capability will be informed by the Defence Investment Plan and the resourced Integrated Force Design due in Autumn 2025.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
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 the persecution of Baha’i and Christian communities in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns the repression of religious minorities in Iran, including Baha'is and Christians. On 18 March, the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN highlighted the continued systematic targeting and repression of religious minorities at the UN Human Rights Council. We were integral to the delivery of an Iran human rights resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 3 April, which renewed and expanded the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran 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. On 23 April, the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), the Hon. Member for North Northumberland, hosted an event in Parliament on FoRB violations in Iran, including against Christians, in partnership with Open Doors and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. On 3 July, the Special Envoy met Baha'i International Community UN Representative, Simin Fahandej, to discuss the current and historic situation of Baha'is in Iran, and on 8 July, delivered a speech where he highlighted Baha'is acute vulnerability to scapegoating, incitement and threats of violence from authorities.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Colombian counterpart on the forced disappearance of eight people in Guaviare Department on 4 and 5 April 2025; and whether he has had discussions with that counterpart on investigations into those disappearances.
Answered by Catherine West
We are concerned at the increasing rate of violence in Colombia, including the killing of eight social leaders in Guaviare. We work closely with the Attorney General's Office and Colombian authorities who are investigating the killings, and through our peace programme, we are working to support the Colombian government to tackle the root causes of violence to prevent such attacks. Our Embassy in Bogotá regularly engages with the local government, the church, victims, and ex-combatants in Guaviare. At the Human Rights Council and UN Security Council, we regularly call for greater protection of social and community leaders and to secure lasting peace by implementing the 2016 Peace Agreement. Through the UN Multi Partner Trust Fund, the UK supports projects to reduce violence and improve security in the department of Guaviare.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor UK funding in the People's Republic of China; and how much has been allocated to the provinces of (a) Tibet and (b) Xinjiang.
Answered by Catherine West
As an open economy, the Government welcomes foreign trade and investment where it supports growth and jobs in the UK, meets our stringent legal and regulatory requirements, and does not compromise our national security.
The Government expects all UK businesses to respect human rights and the environment throughout their operations and supply chain relationships in line with the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The UK's Overseas Business Risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in certain regions and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence when making business decisions. The UK also has reporting requirements for companies with a turnover of £36 million or more under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.
This Government stands firm on human rights, including the repression of people in Xinjiang and Tibet. We are committed to working with international partners and businesses to ensure global supply chains are free from human and labour rights abuses.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to help increase levels of defence manufacturing.
Answered by Maria Eagle
Our UK industry partners are at the heart of our One Defence approach. This Government is committed to supporting defence manufacturing in the UK and will bring forward a Defence Industrial Strategy which ensures the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy are aligned.