Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of progress with democratic reform in Egypt.

Since January 2014, Egypt has held a constitutional referendum; elected a new President, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi; and is preparing for parliamentary elections. We look to President Al Sisi to take steps to implement the rights contained in Egypt’s constitution by opening up political space, in particular ensuring freedom of expression and association as well as ensuring that human and legal rights are fully upheld. I raised these issues with the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe during my visit to Cairo on 25 August.