Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of potential trends in the level of persecution of Christians based on their faith in 2023.

Promotion of the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) will continue to be a key human rights priority for the UK in 2023. A range of analyses, including reports from organisations which look at trends, informs our work and approach to freedom of religion or belief. We demonstrated the depth of our commitment to FoRB by hosting an international Ministerial conference in July 2022. We continue to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside recognising the persecution of others on the basis of their religion or belief.