Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2014 to Question 214857, what estimate he has made of the number of political prisoners in the United Arab Emirates.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold an estimate in relation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Our bilateral relationship with the UAE allows us to discuss important issues like human rights, even if we do not agree. If we have concerns regarding arrests, convictions or sentencing we make these clear to Emirati authorities, as part of our broader strategic engagement.