Defending the rights of LGB&T people is an important part of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's human rights work. There are many countries in which LGB&T people are discriminated against, including by the state. For example, there are 73 countries that criminalise private, consensual sexual relations between adults of the same sex. All UK Embassies and High Commissions monitor and raise human rights issues in their host countries. We will continue to encourage all governments to respect the rights of LGB&T people, especially those that criminalise homosexuality and those that fail to defend the rights of LGB&T people against social prejudice and violence.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-21T16:08:58.557Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-12-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "LGBT People: Oppression"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries he has identified as actively persecuting LGBT citizens; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in those countries relating to such persecution.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1591", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tim Farron"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Westmorland and Lonsdale"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tim Farron"} ], "uin" : "57918"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/659535", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/659535/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I am aware of the raid on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah on 5 December. The Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of people based on their beliefs. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report.<\/p>
The Government regularly raises our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. During his visit to Pakistan in November, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), raised religious tolerance and the importance of safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens. The Government continues to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-20T13:50:12.533Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-12-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pakistan: Ahmadiyya"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the UK Government has made to the government of Pakistan on (a) the treatment of Ahmadiyya Muslims in that country and (b) the reported raid on the offices of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah on 5 December 2016 by that country's Counter Terrorism Department.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/304", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Hall Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Roger Godsiff"} ], "uin" : "57938"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/659538", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/659538/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK has supported and participated in the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing since it was established in 2010. At the seventh session, the UK was represented by delegates based both in London and at the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, and delivered a statement which set out UK policy. In advance of the meeting, officials worked closely with likeminded partners and representatives from civil society, and ensured that the UK position was reflected in EU statements. We will continue to engage constructively with the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing and support the work of the Independent Expert to ensure greater enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-12-20T15:49:36.173Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-12-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department took to support the seventh session of the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing which took place in New York from 12 to 15 December 2016.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4523", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Catherine West"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hornsey and Wood Green"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Catherine West"} ], "uin" : "57954"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }