Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK-Egypt Association Agreement announced on 5 December 2020, what steps he plans to take to work with Egypt on human rights.

Egypt remains a human rights priority country for the UK. It is no secret the UK wants to see more political progress and better protection of human rights in Egypt. This includes implementation of the rights guaranteed by Egypt's constitution. These rights and freedoms are essential for Egypt's long-term stability. We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities, both privately and in forums such as the UN Human Rights Council. A recent example was the Foreign Secretary's call with his Egyptian counterpart on 19 November.