Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the (a) proposed demolition of property in Haldwani and (b) other potential human rights abuses on the progress of trade discussions with her Indian counterpart.

The British High Commission in New Delhi continues to monitor the situation in Haldwani, while recognising that this is a matter for India.

We will not pursue trade to the exclusion of human rights. We regard both as an important part of a mature and wide-ranging relationship with our international trading partners. We engage India on a range of human rights matters and, where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.