Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government in what ways, if any, they plan to mark the International Day for Freedom of Religion or Belief on 27 October; and whether they will issue guidance to all embassies and overseas missions on the UK policy on such freedom.

The Prime Minister demonstrated the British Government's commitment to promoting freedom of religion or belief when in July this year she appointed me as her special envoy. The British Government sees International Religious Freedom Day on 27 October as an opportunity to reflect on the persecution suffered around the world by people due to their religion or beliefs; and to promote respect between communities. The British Government will mark the day on social media, and through an event jointly hosted by myself and Lord Bates on 7 November to mark the occasion. We will also use the occasion to re-issue the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's toolkit on Freedom of Religion or Belief to all of our overseas embassies and missions across our global network, and encourage them to promote and defend this important human right. Finally we are pleased that almost £1 million of funding has been allocated to pursue our freedom of religion or belief policy objectives through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy.