Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Mexican counterpart on religious freedom in Mexico; and what assessment he has made of the attitude in that country towards repeat perpetrators of violence against religious freedom in the communities of (a) Cuamontax del Huazalingo and (b) Mesa Limuntitla in the state of Hidalgo and (c) other parts of Mexico.

Officials in the British Embassy in Mexico City have regular contact with the Government of Mexico and civil society groups, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide, to help inform our understanding of the human rights situation on the ground, including in matters of Freedom of Religion or Relief (FoRB). We work closely with the Government of Mexico to support a broad human rights agenda. The Foreign Secretary's visit to Mexico in August 2019 offered the opportunity to discuss human rights with his Mexican counterpart and we welcomed their commitment to address the challenges. Baroness Williams raised FoRB with Mexican Interior Minister in September 2019. I have also spoken to my counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Ventura. The Mexican Government, the local UN Human Rights office and local civil society organisations assess that FORB violations are not widespread or endemic, although they do accept there are local incidences of people being affected because of their religious belief.