Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to have discussions with his Mexican counterpart on ensuring that all religious minority children have access to a fair education and are not excluded on account of their faith or the faith of their parents.

In October 2018 the Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief in Mexico with the former Mexican Ambassador to the UK, now Deputy Foreign Minister. We work closely with the Government of Mexico to support a broad human rights agenda. Through the Prosperity Fund, we support the consolidation of Mexico's new criminal justice and anti-corruption systems, by providing technical support to strengthen investigative capacities. In November 2018, during Mexico's Universal Periodic Review, the UK made recommendations to Mexico about accountability for human rights violations, independence of the National Prosecutor's Office and on addressing impunity for violence against human rights defenders.

Officials in our Embassy in Mexico City and ministers have contact with Civil Society Groups, including Christian Solidarity Worldwide, to help inform our understanding of the situation on the ground. Mexico has close to universal access to basic education. We will continue to work with civil society to identify when rare cases preventing this do occur and engage with the Mexican authorities as part of our frequent conversations.