Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the demolition of an Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in Daska.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK Government is aware of reports of the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska and continues to monitor the situation. The Minister for the Middle East underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and also discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November. In response to the incident in Daska, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights in a message to the Punjab Minorities Minister on 23 January. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Nigerian government regarding (1) violence committed by armed non-state actors and (2) bringing the perpetrators to justice, particularly in Kaduna and other central states of Nigeria.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

UK Government officials and I regularly raise the impact of insecurity on communities across central and northern Nigeria, underlying the need to bring perpetrators to justice, with the Nigerian Government. Most recently, I raised the importance of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and resolving intercommunal conflict and tensions when I met with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria in January. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we also engage with Nigerian security actors to address complex issues including the timely, effective and human rights-compliant investigation of, and prosecutions for, terrorism crimes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what level of humanitarian aid has been allocated to Nigeria for 2025, and what measures are in place to ensure that it reaches vulnerable communities in locations such as Benue, Kaduna and Plateau states.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

In the Financial Year 2024/25, UK humanitarian support to Nigeria totalled £33.5 million in life-saving assistance. We have reached approximately one million people with our Humanitarian and Resilience Programme (HARP), reducing mortality and increasing resilience for people with the most severe humanitarian needs in Nigeria. At present, this humanitarian aid is not targeted at Benue, Kaduna or Plateau states.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to review existing UK Aid Direct projects, to restructure the way the oversight of such projects, and to counter corruption and misuse of the aid in their implementation.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

UK Aid Direct closed in October 2023. The programme was assessed against final output targets and achieved an A+ rating overall as results met or exceeded expectations. The programme supported 162 civil society organisations to deliver 196 projects for sustained poverty reduction, reaching 9.74 million people across 37 countries. The FCDO has a rigorous and comprehensive due diligence process to determine the capacity and capability of organisations to manage funds and deliver project objectives, including assurances that taxpayers' money will be protected. All UK Aid Direct grant holder funding was published on International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they are assisting Nigeria to address systemic violations of freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression such as the marginalisation of minority faith communities and the criminalisation of blasphemy.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to address security challenges including violent extremism and intercommunal violence, which continue to impinge on the rights of Nigerians to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). The UK is providing £38 million in programming to support locally led solutions in Northern Nigeria tackle the root causes of this violence. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we also engage with Nigerian security actors to address these complex issues. The UK Government also funds the provision of legal and judicial expertise to make legislative changes to protect FoRB, including addressing blasphemy laws. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential to a free and open society. Our dialogue on human rights, including FoRB, will remain an important part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to prioritise the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah during the forthcoming visit of the Foreign Secretary to Egypt, and whether the Prime Minister plans to meet his mother, Laila Soueif.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK remains committed to securing Alaa Abd El-Fattah's release so he can be reunited with his family. We continue to prioritise Mr El-Fattah's case in our engagement with the Egyptian government. This includes the Prime Minister writing to President Sisi on multiple occasions, most recently on 8 January, and the Foreign Secretary repeatedly raising this case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, including most recently on 23 January in Cairo. The National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, also raised this case with the Foreign Minister on 2 January. The Foreign Secretary met Mrs Laila Soueif on 27 November 2024, and the Minister for the Middle East spoke with Mrs Laila Soueif on 24 December 2024 by telephone. FCDO officials remain in regular contact with the family to check on their welfare.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what response they have made to the attack on Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital in Al Fasher, North Darfur State, in Sudan on 24 January, and what part they are playing in bringing those responsible to justice.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK condemns the attack on the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher in the strongest terms. I have publicly denounced the attack, calling for the protection of civilians and for those responsible for crimes in Darfur to be held to account. The UK Special Representative to Sudan, Richard Crowder, has also condemned the attack alongside Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The UK strongly supports the International Criminal Court's active investigation into the situation in Darfur. This support has included the secondment of expert investigators to support the International Criminal Court's work in a number of countries, including Sudan.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to Sudan, how it is distributed, what humanitarian corridors exist for its distribution, and how many people are benefitting from it.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

On 17 November 2024, the UK announced a further £113 million to address the crisis in Sudan and neighbouring countries. This is assisting over 600,000 people in Sudan and 700,000 people in neighbouring countries who have fled the conflict, including Chad and South Sudan. With this announcement, the UK has now doubled our aid in response to the conflict in Sudan to £226.5 million. During his visit to the Chad-Sudan border at Adré in January 2025, the Foreign Secretary announced £20 million in additional funding to support people in Sudan and Chad. In Sudan, UK bilateral humanitarian spending is funding the UN and NGOs to provide food, cash, shelter, healthcare, water and sanitation, including support to mutual aid groups, such as the Emergency Response Rooms, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Considering the serious constraints on humanitarian access, aid organisations use whichever humanitarian corridors and border crossings are available, such as Adré and Tina on the Sudan-Chad border, Renk on Sudan-South Sudan border and Wad Halfa on the Sudan-Egypt border.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Nigeria, especially with regard to the risk of further atrocity crimes, including by reference to their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessments.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Nigeria is witnessing rising conflict and insecurity, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence. In the North East, terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views and the threat posed to both Christian and Muslim communities remains severe. These incidents are distinct from the ongoing intercommunal violence elsewhere in Nigeria. The root causes of this violence are complex, and whilst religious identity can play a role, so can loss of economic opportunity, competition over land and natural resources, disruption to traditional ways of life created by environmental degradation, and historical grievances. I am proud that the UK government's assessment is underpinned by a robust analytical evidence base, including the Nigeria Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda over the seizure of Goma by M23 militia, and what assessment they have made of the security, humanitarian and human rights implications.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Foreign Secretary spoke to President Kagame to urge Rwanda to de-escalate this conflict and return to negotiations. We made clear that an attack on Goma would provoke a strong response from the international community. The Foreign Secretary spoke with President Tshisekedi to express his deep concern about M23 and the Rwandan Defence Force's advances. I have spoken to the Rwandan Foreign Minister and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Foreign Minister to urge both countries to return to the negotiating table. The UK condemns the occupation of Goma and other territories in eastern DRC by M23 and Rwandan Defence Forces as an unacceptable breach of DRC's sovereignty and the United Nations Charter, which poses a fundamental risk to regional stability. The humanitarian situation is now critical, with hundreds of thousands of people re-displaced, acute food insecurity and an increased risk of violence against civilians, especially women and girls. More than 800,000 people in the area who were prioritised for support may no longer receive vital food and nutritional assistance.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any links between the DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) model and the Chinese Communist Party, of the implications for national interests of its built-in censorship functionality, and of its capabilities for military use and political interference.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The use of DeepSeek is a personal choice. The public should use their discretion and be alive to the risks that come with any new AI model, including familiarising themselves with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advice. As a Chinese company, data inputted into the model will be sent to China and thus is subject to Chinese law. The UK supports freedom of expression and we expect companies to be transparent about their AI models. While we cannot comment on individual cases, the NCSC is able to assess technologies in line with their role as the National Technical Authority.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the International Criminal Court regarding its stalled investigation into alleged atrocity crimes in Nigeria.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an impartial, professional and independent court. It is a court of last resort, which is complementary to national legal systems, undertaking investigations only when national authorities are unable or unwilling to do so. In 2024 , the ICC Deputy Prosecutor visited Nigeria and stressed that the ICC would move forward with an investigation if the Nigerian authorities did not bridge existing impunity gaps. The UK Government is committed to supporting the ICC internationally and it is for the ICC Prosecutor to determine the focus of his investigations in accordance with his mandate. It is important that all criminal proceedings are taken forward impartially and independently by the Court under the framework of the Rome Statute. The UK Government respects the independence of the Court.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China about the reported disappearance of nine Tibetans, raised by UN special rapporteurs and working groups in a letter dated 14 November 2024 (AL CHN 15/2024).

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang and Vice Premier He respectively).

More broadly, we will continue to champion freedom of religion and belief for all abroad, including through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora. For example, the UK joined a statement on the situation in Tibet led by Australia at the UN General Assembly last October.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Sudan, especially with regard to the risk of further atrocity crimes, including by reference to their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all travel to Sudan because of the ongoing military conflict. The UK condemns in the strongest terms increasing reports of atrocities being committed across Sudan, and we continue to do so at every available opportunity. The UK has played a leading role in human rights scrutiny on Sudan. In October 2024, we led efforts at the UN Human Rights Council to renew the UN mandate for the international, independent Fact-Finding Mission to ensure credible evidence of human rights abuses and violations are investigated impartially. I also held a meeting with the African Union Special Envoy for the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and Mass Atrocities on 5 February where we discussed the African Union advocacy on protection of civilians and addressing atrocities in Sudan. A draft Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment of the situation in Sudan was finalised in March 2023 but the internal review process was halted by the outbreak of violence on 15 April 2023. We continue to track the conflict through a variety of shorter, more regular analyses and have enhanced our atrocity risk monitoring, including monitoring of conflict-related sexual violence.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they last held discussions with the Nigerian authorities on the need to address the impunity surrounding blasphemy-related violence, including by ensuring justice in the cases of Deborah Emmanuel, Usman Buda and other victims.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Dialogue on human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), is a vital part of the UK's partnership with Nigeria. The UK Government was an active participant in Nigeria's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in January 2024 and recommended that the Nigerian Government ensures that the human rights of those accused of blasphemy are protected and that those responsible for blasphemy related mob-killings are held accountable. The UK Government proactively raises cases where blasphemy legislation has been used to restrict human rights with the Nigerian authorities. More broadly, the UK Government funds the provision of legal and judicial expertise to make legislative changes to protect FoRB, including addressing blasphemy laws. The right of individuals to express their beliefs or non-belief is essential to a free and open society.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, as part of their Security and Defence Partnership with Nigeria, to assist in protecting farming communities in central Nigeria from ongoing violent attacks by armed non-state actors.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to address security challenges, including intercommunal violence, through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). The UK-Nigeria SDP works with Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against civilian communities. Additionally, our Strengthening Peace and Resilience programme ('SPRiNG') is working to reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including by supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists, and strengthening conflict early warning, management and response.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat posed by emerging jihadist groups in Nigeria following the resurgence of the Lakurawa terrorist faction.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Nigeria is witnessing rising conflict and insecurity, including violent extremism. This Government continues to monitor events in northern Nigeria closely and believes there remains a severe threat posed by terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa who target all those who do not subscribe to their extremist views.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with Nigerian authorities about the continued captivity of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls; and what assistance they are offering to secure their safe return.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK Government strongly condemns the abduction and continued captivity of children by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) in North East Nigeria, and has repeatedly called for their release. This includes the 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls, around 90 of whom are understood still to be missing, as well as Leah Sharibu, who has remained in Islamic State West Africa captivity since 2018. The UK Government has raised Leah's case with the Government of Nigeria, and I will continue to raise this important issue in my future engagements with them. More broadly, we continue to support the Government of Nigeria to tackle insecurity and prevent further kidnappings, which includes support to Nigeria's anti-kidnap cell, through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.

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