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1699240

registered interest
date	26/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate engagement and meetings between faith communities and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief.
tabling member printed	Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick
uin	HL3630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. I and the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce MP, regularly meets with members of different faith communities to discuss freedom of religion or belief around the world. She also attends each meeting of the UK FoRB Forum, which brings together around 80 civil society groups working on the issue. Over the last year, she has hosted a series of round table meetings focussing on different countries of concern, at which various faith groups have been well represented.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/04/2024 09:40:36 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

1699241

registered interest
date	26/03/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that regular meetings take place between Ministers from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and UK faith communities on the impact of conflict on people of faith.
tabling member printed	Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick
uin	HL3631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>We recognise that conflicts, including the current conflict in the Middle East, can impact on British faith communities and lead to a rise in community tensions. Baroness Scott, DLUHC Minister for Faith, maintains an active programme of engagement with faith community representatives to discuss a range of issues, including the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East on British faith communities.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/04/2024 09:42:18 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

1687362

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications of the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union to allow religious symbols to be banned in public sector workplaces for his policies on international religious (a) freedom and (b) expression.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	13019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>We note the recent Court of Justice of the European Union (EU) ruling on the prohibition of visible religious symbols in government offices.</p><p>This case is a matter for the EU and its Member States. We will continue, as part of our wider work on freedom of religion or belief, to monitor the situation of religious or belief communities, including where applicable, as this relates to British citizens working in the EU.</p><p>The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting mutual respect, here in the UK and internationally. Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a longstanding human rights priority for the UK.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell grouped question UIN 13017 13018 13020 question first answered 13/02/2024 16:19:00 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1678207

registered interest
date	14/12/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to promote freedom of religion and belief in other countries.
tabling member constituency	York Outer
tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
uin	7033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/12/2023 answer text <p>We continue to ensure that freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is central to our human rights and wider work. Our International Development White Paper published in November includes a commitment to prioritise FoRB in our bilateral and multilateral work.</p><p>We work with UN, G7, and other multilateral fora to promote FoRB. In June this year, the UN Security Council adopted, unanimously, a UK-United Arab Emirates (UAE) co-penned resolution on Tolerance and International Peace and Security, which contained language on FoRB. Bilaterally, Ministers and officials regularly raise specific cases of concern, and do not shy away from challenging those we believe are not meeting their obligations, whether publicly or in private.</p><p>This year, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP served a second consecutive year as Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, a network of 42 countries committed to the promotion and protection of FoRB.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 27/12/2023 09:10:47 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1676107

registered interest
date	06/12/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s report on National Level Anti-Conversion Laws Around the World, published on 28 November.
tabling member printed	Baroness Cox
uin	HL915
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>Promoting the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a top priority for the UK.</p><p>The UK welcomes the recent report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. We note its findings documenting anti-conversion laws, as we monitor the situation for religious and non-religious communities globally.</p><p>We have made our position clear: no one should be forced to denounce their beliefs or be discriminated against because of their religion or belief. In 2022, we sanctioned Mian Abdul Haq, a cleric responsible for the forced conversions of girls and women in Pakistan. The UK continue to work multilaterally and bilaterally to promote FoRB, and hold those accountable for human rights violations and abuses.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 20/12/2023 17:01:13 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3364 label Biography information for Baroness Cox

1671246

registered interest
date	20/11/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what priorities they have identified in their work to promote freedom of religion or belief; and what is in outline the current plan of work for the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
tabling member printed	Lord Kempsell
uin	HL415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>The UK's foremost priority on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is defending FoRB for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities.</p><p>We work through international bodies to strengthen coalitions of support and protect FoRB for all. We use our global diplomatic network to encourage States to uphold their human rights obligations, supporting this work with dedicated FoRB programme spend. And we continue to work to embed FoRB considerations across the work of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).</p><p>The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, is currently serving as Chair of the 42-country International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), which she is working to grow and strengthen. Alongside her counterparts from other countries, the Special Envoy works through IRFBA to champion FoRB, highlighting international best practice and raising awareness of, and challenging, FoRB violations and abuses across the world.</p><p>The Special Envoy works closely with civil society to highlight FoRB issues, and is leading a series of roundtables in the FCDO to strengthen collaboration on FoRB between FCDO officials and civil society.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/12/2023 17:24:30 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4988 label Biography information for Lord Kempsell

1670576

registered interest
date	16/11/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will have discussions with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police on the (a) circumstances which led the police to cancel a prayer walk for Israel and the Jewish people, organised by Christian Action Against Anti-Antisemitism to take place in Golders Green on 21 October 2023, (b) the basis on which the police determined that tweets by supporters of a pro-Palestinian march scheduled for the same day seven miles away constituted a sufficient level of threat to require cancellation of the Golders Green event and (c) whether the police plan to investigate those tweets further.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Sir Julian Lewis
uin	2242
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office is in regular contact with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) regarding the recent protests following the devastating events in Israel.</p><p>The management of protests is an operational matter for the police, as are decisions around investigations. The Home Office cannot intervene on specific operational decisions of this nature, to do so would undermine their independence.</p><p>The MPS have confirmed that an officer provided advice and guidance to the organisers of the prayer walk. Following those discussions, a decision was made by the organiser to cancel the vigil.</p><p>The MPS do not have the power to prohibit a public procession without the consent of the Secretary of State.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 21/11/2023 14:31:13 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1657612

registered interest
date	04/09/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, as Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, to ensure that the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance Ministerial Conference in Prague this November is (1) informed by the experiences of affected communities, and (2) includes freedom of religion or belief experts and representatives from relevant civil society and faith-based organisations.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL9768
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2023 answer text <p>The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA), Fiona Bruce, is working with Vice Chair of IRFBA, Ambassador Rehak of the Czech Republic, to ensure the Conference in Prague in November is inclusive, well informed by affected communities and includes FoRB experts, representatives from civil society and faith-based organisations. As outlined in our Written Ministerial Statement following the 2022 Conference [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-07-15/hlws204], we continue to build partnerships with civil society focussed on key themes from the Conference, drawing on the convening power of the IRFBA to promote FoRB for all.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/09/2023 16:04:53 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

1657907

registered interest
date	04/09/2023
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the safety of persecuted religious communities.
tabling member constituency	Luton North
tabling member printed	Sarah Owen
uin	197631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2023 answer text <p>The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), Fiona Bruce, as chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, is working to bolster international action on FoRB and seeking to improve the safety of persecuted religious minorities. At the UK-led Ministerial Conference on FoRB last year, we announced funding to support FoRB defenders, and provide expertise to assist countries with legislative changes to protect FoRB. In June we secured language in a Security Council resolution which directly addresses the persecution of religious minorities. We continue to use our position at the UN to highlight FoRB violations and abuses and help improve the lives of those affected.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 12/09/2023 12:40:53 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4777 label Biography information for Sarah Owen

1651552

registered interest
date	10/07/2023
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to help (a) tackle religious persecution and (b) protect religious freedom.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	193114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>Last month the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, welcomed the UN Security Council’s adoption of a joint UK / UAE Government resolution highlighting threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief. The steps taken by the UK Government followed a review authored by the Bishop at the invitation of the then Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the implementation of which has since become Government Policy. In a vote, the Security Council adopted the proposal, which will see the UN Secretary General produce an oral report on Freedom of Religion or Belief related threats to international peace and security. The initial deadline is 14th June 2024, with the intention of such a statement becoming an annual event.</p><p>Religious persecution and freedom of religion were on the agenda at the gathering of the global Anglican Communion at the Lambeth Conference in 2022. At the Conference a range of ‘calls’, or priorities for the Church worldwide, were made to tackle these issues. The documents relating to Freedom of Religion and religious persecution can be found under the Inter-Faith, Christian Unity and Human Dignity sections, here: <a href="https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Lambeth-Calls-English-2023.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Lambeth-Calls-English-2023.pdf</a></p><p>The Church of England remains closely involved with the work of the FCDO in supporting the work of His Majesty’s Ambassadors and diplomats and the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief. More information about the work of the International Panel can be found here: <a href="https://www.ippforb.com/about/" target="_blank">https://www.ippforb.com/about/</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/07/2023 23:00:42 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight