Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister expressed support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during his visit to China in January and, if so, what response he received.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
As he said in his statement to the House of Commons on 2 February, the Prime Minister discussed the issue of Taiwan during his meetings with President Xi, Premier Li and other senior leaders. The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and our position on Taiwan has not changed.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, Sudan: Hallmarks of Genocide in El-Fasher, published 19 February; and what steps they are taking to bring those responsible for the atrocities in the report to justice.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In her speech and accompanying statement to the UN Security Council on 19 February, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK's response to the UN report on El-Fasher, other evidence of atrocities committed by the warring parties in Sudan, and how the UK is protecting civilians and humanitarian operations, as well as holding the perpetrators and profiteers of the appalling atrocities committed in Sudan to account. I will place a copy of her speech and statement in the House of Lords library.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that two thirds of communities surveyed by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab around Darfur’s El Fasher were found to have “no visible pattern of life”.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In her speech and accompanying statement to the UN Security Council on 19 February, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK's response to the UN report on El-Fasher, other evidence of atrocities committed by the warring parties in Sudan, and how the UK is protecting civilians and humanitarian operations, as well as holding the perpetrators and profiteers of the appalling atrocities committed in Sudan to account. I will place a copy of her speech and statement in the House of Lords library.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking following reports of attacks by Sudan's Rapid Support Forces on farming villages and crop production around El Fasher in the first days of the siege on the city.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In her speech and accompanying statement to the UN Security Council on 19 February, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK's response to the UN report on El-Fasher, other evidence of atrocities committed by the warring parties in Sudan, and how the UK is protecting civilians and humanitarian operations, as well as holding the perpetrators and profiteers of the appalling atrocities committed in Sudan to account. I will place a copy of her speech and statement in the House of Lords library.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces targeted and killed people with disabilities in El Fasher; and what steps they are taking with international partners to bring those responsible to justice.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In her speech and accompanying statement to the UN Security Council on 19 February, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK's response to the UN report on El-Fasher, other evidence of atrocities committed by the warring parties in Sudan, and how the UK is protecting civilians and humanitarian operations, as well as holding the perpetrators and profiteers of the appalling atrocities committed in Sudan to account. I will place a copy of her speech and statement in the House of Lords library.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UN report finding possible genocide in El Fasher in Sudan; and how they are implementing the recommendations of the Standing Group on Atrocity Crimes from 16 December 2025.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In her speech and accompanying statement to the UN Security Council on 19 February, the Foreign Secretary set out the UK's response to the UN report on El-Fasher, other evidence of atrocities committed by the warring parties in Sudan, and how the UK is protecting civilians and humanitarian operations, as well as holding the perpetrators and profiteers of the appalling atrocities committed in Sudan to account. I will place a copy of her speech and statement in the House of Lords library.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether and when they have raised (1) potential breaches of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, and (2) the detention of Pastor Ezra Jin and seventeen other pastors of Zion Church, directly with the government of China or through the United Nations Human Rights Council; and what response they received.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK continues to stand firm on human rights in China. We continue to follow developments closely in relation to the detention of Zion Church members, and we regularly raise human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. The UK remains committed to promoting human rights and the rule of law globally. To support our wider efforts, David Smith MP was appointed Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief in December 2024, and the UK hosted a Geneva event in July 2025 reaffirming the universal right to freedom of religion or belief.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Kyrgyzstan about the detention of journalist Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided by the Minister of State, Stephen Doughty, on 31 October 2025 in response to Question 85571, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below.
The UK regularly engages with Kyrgyzstan both bilaterally and in multilateral settings on a range of issues, including human rights matters. I raised Human rights concerns during our Strategic Dialogue in February 2025. In Kyrgyzstan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review in April 2025, the UK raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and recommended amending legislation regarding "Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious interregional hatred". Our Embassy in Kyrgyzstan monitors the human rights in the country and works closely with civil society organisations and multilateral partners.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the likelihood of a new conflict in Tigray, and (2) the risk of atrocity crimes in a new conflict in that region.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Tigray and Northern Ethiopia. Recent clashes in disputed areas and reports of Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and Tigrayan Forces preparing for conflict, contribute to an increasingly fragile and unpredictable security environment.
Any conflict would further destabilise the region and have a high risk of human rights abuses and atrocities. We engage regularly with all parties, and support efforts to implement the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, including through funding for monitoring and compliance mechanisms and support for conditions that enable the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Internally Displaced People.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in investigating and prosecuting those responsible for atrocity crimes during the 2020–22 conflict in Tigray.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In coordination with international partners, the UK has consistently called for accountability in multilateral fora, including the Human Rights Council. The UK co-sponsored the establishment of the Independent Commission on Human Rights in Ethiopia (ICHREE) and welcomed the 2023 ICHREE report and its recommendations. The UK is financing international monitors from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and helping to strengthen the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's ability to investigate serious abuses. We welcome the Government of Ethiopia's national Transitional Justice policy. For it to be credible, implementation must deliver meaningful justice and accountability for victims across Ethiopia, including Tigray.