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 human rights groups on the decision to allow Prince Nasser bin Hamad access to the UK.

I have not held any discussions with human rights groups regarding Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. In October, the Crown Prosecution Service could not sustain its finding that Sheikh Nasser had been immune from prosecution when he visited the UK in 2012. Regardless of this finding on immunity, the police had in any event concluded that there was insufficient evidence to take any further action. Sheikh Nasser has since visited the UK. Bahrain remains a close partner of the UK, and Sheikh Nasser continues to be welcome here.