Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Middle East Minister visits Gulf to deepen economic ties, published on 7 July 2022, on what basis the Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East congratulated the Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs for that country's continued progress in human rights.

My visit to Bahrain from 2-3 July provided an opportunity to discuss a wide range of human rights issues with senior Bahraini counterparts. This included the introduction by Bahrain of alternative sentencing legislation, which has so far benefitted over 4,300 individuals and the passing of a new Restorative Justice Law for children which, among other things, raises the age of criminal responsibility from 7 to 15. We welcome the entry into force of this legislation and continue to support Government of Bahrain efforts to ensure the law is fully and effectively implemented.