Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Turkish counterpart on the detention of opposition mayors in Turkiye, including Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to help improve the situation in that country for opposition parties.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 30 April 2025 in response to Question 47082.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Egyptian counterpart on the detention of opposition mayors in Turkiye, including Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu; and what steps she is taking to help improve the situation in that country for opposition parties.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not routinely discuss matters relating to Türkiye with the Egyptian Government.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 90911 on India: Christianity, what assessment she made of the potential impact of her Department's discussions with civil society organisations, faith leaders and the Government of India on the protection of Christian minority communities in Andhra Pradesh; and what diplomatic steps she is taking to support those communities.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to track these issues closely and engage wherever possible to promote religious freedom and tolerance. Our High Commission in New Delhi, along with our network of Deputy High Commissions, monitors the human rights situation closely. We also engage with civil society and faith leaders to support efforts to promote tolerance and respect between communities. We will continue in these efforts and keep the House updated as this work progresses.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Egyptian counterpart on religious expression online in Egypt; and what steps her Department is taking to help protect freedom of religion or belief in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and we continue to regularly raise rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities where appropriate.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect and support Kurdish communities in North-East Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has considered the findings of the UN Secretary-General’s report to the UN Security Council entitled Situation concerning Western Sahara, published on September 30 2025, that the Royal Moroccan Army should refrain from building further military infrastructure west of the berm in occupied Western Sahara; and if she will make representations to the UN Security Council on this matter.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process led by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Mr Staffan de Mistura in support of finding a just, lasting, and mutually agreed resolution to the Western Sahara dispute. The UK shares a bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco, the third session of which is due to take place in London by the end of the year and will cover a range of topics.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has considered the findings of the UN Secretary-General’s report to the UN Security Council entitled Situation concerning Western Sahara, published on September 30 2025, including the need for independent, impartial, comprehensive and sustained monitoring; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) establishing an independent human rights body as proposed in the resolution and (b) requiring Morocco to facilitate visits by the OHCHR to occupied Western Sahara.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process led by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Mr Staffan de Mistura in support of finding a just, lasting, and mutually agreed resolution to the Western Sahara dispute. The UK shares a bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco, the third session of which is due to take place in London by the end of the year and will cover a range of topics.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to increase the provision of aid to the Sahrawi refugee camps, following the UN Secretary General’s report entitled Question of Western Sahara of 31 July 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to regularly meet and consult regional and international partners to discuss the issue of Western Sahara, including those from the peacekeeping mission, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the UN, civil society, and the broader international community. We continue to work with international partners to assess the situation and ensure UK aid reaches the most vulnerable, including Sahrawi refugees.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on the blocking of visits by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to occupied Western Sahara since 2015.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting solution of the Western Sahara conflict and welcomed Morocco's stated commitment to provide further details of what autonomy within a Moroccan state could entail, with a view to restarting serious negotiations. In that context, we continue to engage with all relevant parties in support of the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination. The former Foreign Secretary last spoke to Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Bourita on 23 July and I met representatives of the Polisario Front on 5 August.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July to Question 64209 on Western Sahara: Human Rights, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Morocco on the details of what autonomy within the Moroccan State could entail.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan as the most credible, viable and pragmatic basis for a lasting solution of the Western Sahara conflict and welcomed Morocco's stated commitment to provide further details of what autonomy within a Moroccan state could entail, with a view to restarting serious negotiations. In that context, we continue to engage with all relevant parties in support of the UN-led process to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution, based on compromise, which conforms with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including the principle of respect for self-determination. The former Foreign Secretary last spoke to Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Bourita on 23 July and I met representatives of the Polisario Front on 5 August.