Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment has she made of the potential risks faced by religious minorities in Afghanistan.

The UK is committed to protecting the rights of minority faith communities in Afghanistan. FCDO officials regularly raise human rights, including rights of members of minority groups, in discussions with the Taliban. On 15 December the Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth, the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Lord Herbert of South Downs held a roundtable with NGOs to discuss the ongoing challenges faced by vulnerable groups, including religious minorities.