Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
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 implications for freedom of religion in India of the recent action by Indian authorities against religious groups as a result of anti-conversion laws; and whether he has made representations to his Indian counterpart on that issue.
Answered by Mark Field
Voluntary conversion to a different religion is not a criminal offence in India. However, laws are active in six of India's 29 states that seek to prevent 'forced' conversion and make the legal process altogether more difficult.
On freedom of religion more broadly, the British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions regularly meet with minority communities, including the National Commission of Minority Affairs. Additionally we have trained nine hundred minority students on faith issues in six universities across North India, and funded a community cohesion project which created a platform for 125 youth champions drawn from 26 colleges. This engaged with diverse religious communities through a series of workshops to initiate change, within themselves, their peers, and family as well as encouraging greater dialogue and understanding across communities.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
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 progress of negotiations to reform (a) the EU and (b) the UK's relationship with the EU.
Answered by David Lidington
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and I are focussed on successfully reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU. The June European Council saw the successful launch of a process of technical discussions on EU reform. Leaders have agreed to return to the issue at the December European Council.