Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times the Government has raised with the Bahraini authorities the issue of Bahraini female detainees being raped whilst imprisoned.

The UK has an open dialogue with the Government of Bahrain which allows us to raise issues of concern at a senior level both in London and Manama. Where we have been made aware of allegations we raise them in accordance with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's guidance on reporting such allegations.

We continue to encourage anybody with concerns about treatment in detention to report them to the appropriate oversight body. We also encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.