Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on strengthening protections for the human rights of non-Muslims in that country.

We regularly raise with the Egyptian authorities the human rights of religious minorities, and make the case for them to be accorded the necessary protections under Egyptian law. President Sisi has called for peaceful co-existence between religious communities in Egypt, has licensed over one thousand churches under the Church Building Law, and has opened the largest cathedral in the Middle East and North Africa. During my visit to Cairo on 15 September, I met Pope Tawadros II, whose Coptic Orthodox Church plays such an important part in Egyptian society. The UK has always been clear that the rights of minorities, wherever they exist, should be protected in line with international standards. I look forward to discussing these issues with the Hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham, whom the Prime Minister has appointed as his new Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief.