Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the investigation published on 7 June 2021 by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Human Rights Watch on abuses of children in detention and the adequacy of the Bahraini Ministry of Interior Ombudsman, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of the Bahraini Ministry of Interior Ombudsman; and whether the Government plans to continue allocating financial support to that Ombudsman through the Gulf Strategy Fund.

We believe that consistent, positive steps are being made on security and justice reform in Bahrain. Continued progress is in the interest of Bahrain, the UK and the international community. While we recognise that challenges remain, we are clear that stepping back from our engagement would not help to achieve this. Working in cooperation with the UNDP in Bahrain, we plan to continue our support through the Gulf Strategy Fund to strengthen Bahrain's human rights oversight institutions, including the Ombudsman.