Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the rights and safety of (1) Armenian, and (2) Arab Orthodox Christian, communities in Syria; what discussions they have had with interim Syrian authorities about the protection of Syria's Christian minorities; and what guarantees, if any, they received from the Syrian authorities in those discussions.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are deeply concerned about sectarian tensions and violence in Syria. We have consistently advocated for an inclusive, representative and non-sectarian political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. We are pressing the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues during his recent visit to Damascus, and during his call with Syria's Foreign Minister on 18 July. We will continue to judge the Syrian Government by its actions, not its words.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what pressure they have placed upon the Syrian transitional authorities to work seriously and transparently to ensure a comprehensive and unbiased Syrian transitional process.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians. The Foreign Secretary discussed this with President al Sharaa and Foreign Minister al Shaibani when he visited Damascus on 5 July. We welcome President al Sharaa's commitment to hold free and fair elections, and the announcement of the Supreme Electoral Committee for the People's Assembly Elections. This is an important step in building legitimate legislative and electoral processes. It is vital now that the political transition proceeds in a genuinely inclusive way, is representative, and respects the rights of all Syrians. We continue to press the Syrian Government on these issues. We will judge the Syrian Government by its actions not its words.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Arab Parliament’s defence of Algeria’s religious freedom record, what assessment they have made of restrictions on religious freedom faced by Christian communities in Algeria.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe. Our Embassy in Algiers raises FoRB with the Algerian authorities, doing so most recently when our Ambassador met the Minister of Religious Affairs on 10 February. Our Embassy remains in regular contact with minority religious groups on how best to support FoRB. We will continue to raise the issue and advocate for freedom of expression, including for Christian communities in Algeria.
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 situation of children in Syria, including those held in camps and detention and rehabilitation facilities in north-east Syria; and what assistance they are providing for child-focused humanitarian initiatives in that country.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There are over seven million children in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria and more than two million out of school. Through INGOs and UN organisations, the UK aims to help children across the country, including in North-East Syria, through multi-sectoral support including water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), education, health, nutrition and child protection services.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps, alone or in partnership with other countries, to initiate proceedings against Ethiopia before the International Court of Justice for violations of the Genocide Convention.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Our approach to genocide determination does not, and has not, prevented us from taking action to call out and seek to address atrocities, or work to build resilience in places where there are risks of instability and violence. Where we see immediate risks of atrocities, we raise our concerns bilaterally with the countries involved and multilaterally through international organisations.
On 15 November 2023, the UK jointly with Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice in order to set out our interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Genocide Convention before the Court. This, and Written Observations submitted to the Court in March 2025, are intended to assist the court in its independent deliberations.
The UK has not initiated proceedings against the Government of Ethiopia. It is the long-standing policy of the UK Government that any formal determination as to whether genocide has occurred should be made following a judgment by a competent national or international court. This policy is consistent with our obligations under the Genocide Convention, providing a clear, impartial and independent measure for the determination of whether genocide has occurred.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to initiate a structural investigation into international crimes in Ethiopia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK co-sponsored the establishment of the Independent Commission on Human Rights in Ethiopia (ICHREE). The UK welcomed the 2023 ICHREE report and its recommendations. We repeatedly call, publicly and privately, for independent investigations into conflict related human rights violations and for perpetrators to be held to account. The UK is financing international monitors from Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCR) and building the investigative capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) through our human rights and peacebuilding programme. We also support multiple dialogue initiatives across Ethiopia to find political solutions to conflict and help end conflict related human rights abuses. Where we see immediate risks of atrocities, we raise our concerns bilaterally with the countries involved and multilaterally through international organisations.
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 with the government of Lebanon regarding protections for Christian churches in Lebanon.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Continued escalation across the Israel-Lebanon Blue Line, and its impact upon communities on both sides of the border is deeply concerning. The Government of Lebanon has cited its commitment to freedom of religion. We encourage Lebanon to meet its international obligations and uphold the values of equality and religious coexistence that are enshrined in its national laws. The UK Government remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief globally.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to victims of conflict-related sexual violence in Ethiopia; how this assistance will be affected by the cuts to Official Development Assistance; and how they are coordinating the responses to atrocity crimes in Ethiopia with other countries.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has played a critical role in supporting survivor-centred humanitarian interventions in Ethiopia, particularly in response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Tigray and other conflict-affected regions. The UK has prioritised healthcare, psychosocial support, access to justice, as well as policy efforts to increase accountability. In the last financial year, we allocated £4.6 million to deliver Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child protection services in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and Somali regions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, GBV and child protection services reached over 50,000 women and girls, across 19 health facilities in affected regions. The UK remains committed to preventing CRSV and funding for GBV prevention and response has increased this financial year. Funding for future years has not yet been allocated.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the judgment by the High Court in R (Al-Haq) v Secretary of State for Business and Trade [2025] EWHC 1615 (Admin) on 30 June, whether they plan to consider the incorporation of the Arms Trade Treaty into domestic law.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is fully committed to international law and acts in a manner that is consistent with our international obligations and commitments. We remain strongly committed to the Arms Trade Treaty and to act accordingly. Our export control regime remains consistent with our international obligations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 23 June (HL8468), what assessment they have made of the root causes of the conflict in Benue, in particular of the role of religion.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the ongoing violence in Nigeria's Middle Belt and we express our sincere concern for all those impacted. The root causes of intercommunal violence are complex and often linked to land disputes, historical tensions, and criminal activity. While religion is not a causal factor in these conflicts, the impacts are felt acutely by religious communities, including hindering people's ability to practice their faith freely. The UK supports all affected communities, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and is working through programmes like Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria and the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership to promote peace, strengthen local institutions, and protect civilians. The UK remains committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), with Nigeria a priority country under the new FoRB strategy, and we will continue to raise this issue in our engagements with Nigeria.