Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a fund to support persecuted Christians through help with legal fees and access to justice.
Answered by Mark Field
We have not made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a fund for legal fees and access to justice. The Foreign Secretary has however launched the independent review of Foreign and Commonwealth Office support for persecuted Christians on 30 January. This review will provide robust recommendations on how the FCO can respond to the persecution of Christians when the final report is submitted in the Summer.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote religious tolerance throughout the world.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief leads this work across Government and we regularly raise this issue with governments across the world, through our diplomatic network and at the Human Rights Council and the UN. The UK also funds and supports projects that promote respect for all people of different faiths and none.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the protection of Christians from persecution in (a) Africa, (b) the Middle East and (c) East Asia.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone. The Government is deeply concerned about the severity of violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in many parts of the world. In recent years we have seen reports of a particular rise in the persecution of Christians. The Foreign Secretary recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent global review into the persecution of Christians. The review will provide recommendations on the additional practical steps the FCO can take to support persecuted Christians. The Bishop has now submitted his interim report; he will submit his final report in the Summer.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support Christians on death row in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy.
Answered by Mark Field
It is the British Government's longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in all countries. In Pakistan, we remain deeply concerned by the misuse of blasphemy laws, and that religious minorities, including Christians, are disproportionately affected. The harsh penalties for blasphemy, including the death penalty, add to these concerns.
We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. My colleague, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister in February 2019.
To ensure the United Kingdom is providing the right levels of support to persecuted Christians overseas, the Foreign Secretary asked the Bishop of Truro, Rt Revd. Philip Mounstephen, to carry out an independent review. The Bishop has submitted his interim report; with the full report due later this year.
Asked by: Luke Hall (Conservative - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Libya.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We welcome the signature of the Libyan Political Agreement on 17 December which paves the way for a new Government of National Accord in Libya. The security situation remains fragile and it is vital that the new government is formed quickly to tackle the threats from Daesh and people smuggling.