Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Polish counterpart on (a) women's rights and (b) LGBT+ rights in that country.

The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns in relation to women's and LGBT rights in Poland during a call with his Polish counterpart, Foreign Minister Rau, in January.

The UK accords a high priority to promoting gender equality, and women's and girls' rights, across the world. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials regularly raise gender issues in multilateral fora such as the UN and the Council of Europe. The UK firmly believes that supporting the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, through evidence-based public health interventions, saves lives. The British Embassy in Warsaw is active on this agenda and supports Polish NGOs working on women's and girls' rights.

The UK is also implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination and committed to promoting and protecting the rights and freedoms of LGBT people in all circumstances. Our Embassy in Warsaw is engaged in dialogue with both civil society and the Polish Government, as well as with our diplomatic partners. We will continue to work with the LGBT community in Poland to identify opportunities to tackle discrimination and promote inclusion.