Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Sudan counterpart on that government's attitude towards its Christian communities.

We regularly raise our concerns with the Government of Sudan about religious persecutions and the need to respect freedom of religion or belief for all its citizens. My officials have recently made representations to the Foreign Minister, urging the Government to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief including one's right to follow the religion or belief of choice. This right is enshrined in international human rights law as well as in Sudan's own 2005 Interim Constitution. We will continue to raise these issues.