Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 74771 on Jimmy Lai, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the support her Department has provided to the British citizens named as co-conspirators in the trial of Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the hon. member to the amended answer given to Question 74771.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in Bangladesh on reports that Rohingya refugees are being forced to pay bribes at official checkpoints when seeking healthcare at facilities outside refugee camps.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The main solution to the Rohingya crisis is safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar. This is the focus of the UK's diplomatic efforts. While conditions for return do not currently exist, we continue to work to ensure that the Rohingya can live in safety and dignity while they remain in Bangladesh.
The UK is working through local partners to address the humanitarian situation in the Rohingya camps and closely monitoring levels of need and security. We regularly engage the Interim Government of Bangladesh on security in and around the camps and actions to improve the protection environment.
In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million of new funding, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes support to help refugees build skills for the future and reduce reliance on aid.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by MSF entitled The Illusion of Choice: Rohingya Voices Echo From the Camps, published in September 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The main solution to the Rohingya crisis is safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar. This is the focus of the UK's diplomatic efforts. While conditions for return do not currently exist, we continue to work to ensure that the Rohingya can live in safety and dignity while they remain in Bangladesh.
The UK is working through local partners to address the humanitarian situation in the Rohingya camps and closely monitoring levels of need and security. We regularly engage the Interim Government of Bangladesh on security in and around the camps and actions to improve the protection environment.
In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million of new funding, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes support to help refugees build skills for the future and reduce reliance on aid.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her international counterparts on the resettlement of Rohingya refugees to third countries.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The main solution to the Rohingya crisis is safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar. This is the focus of the UK's diplomatic efforts. While conditions for return do not currently exist, we continue to work to ensure that the Rohingya can live in safety and dignity while they remain in Bangladesh.
The UK is working through local partners to address the humanitarian situation in the Rohingya camps and closely monitoring levels of need and security. We regularly engage the Interim Government of Bangladesh on security in and around the camps and actions to improve the protection environment.
In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million of new funding, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes support to help refugees build skills for the future and reduce reliance on aid.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with humanitarian partners in the region to help tackle (a) a lack of street lighting, (b) long distances to (i) toilets and (ii) washing facilities and (c) other safety risks faced by Rohingya refugee women in Cox’s Bazaar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The main solution to the Rohingya crisis is safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation to Myanmar. This is the focus of the UK's diplomatic efforts. While conditions for return do not currently exist, we continue to work to ensure that the Rohingya can live in safety and dignity while they remain in Bangladesh.
The UK is working through local partners to address the humanitarian situation in the Rohingya camps and closely monitoring levels of need and security. We regularly engage the Interim Government of Bangladesh on security in and around the camps and actions to improve the protection environment.
In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million of new funding, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes support to help refugees build skills for the future and reduce reliance on aid.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
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 international partners on the ongoing detention of (a) Pastor Kim Jung-Wook, (b) Missionary Kim Kook-kie and (c) Missionary Choi Chun-gil in North Korea; and whether she is taking diplomatic steps to ensure their release.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defending the right to freedom of religion or belief is a key strand of our human rights strategy in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the UK regularly raises its concerns about these issues both bilaterally via the embassy in London and in multilateral fora. On 23 September 2025, our Human Rights Ambassador issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council calling on the DPRK to engage meaningfully with the international community on human rights issues.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Eritrean authorities concerning the enforced disappearance and harassment of (a) religious leaders and (b) human rights defenders; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure their protection against transnational repression.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to raise the issue of human rights with the Eritrean government, both through our Embassy in Asmara and through multilateral fora. We advocate for the end of all discriminatory detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council, and call for all those unjustly incarcerated to be released, including human rights defenders. The UK supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2025. We previously called upon Eritrea to address allegations and concerns surrounding activities which could be identified as transnational repression (TNR), including at the UN Human Rights Council in February 2025. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recently took part in a cross-government review of TNR and will continue to monitor this issue.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department has offered to British citizens accused of being co-conspirators in the closing days of the trial of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong; and what assessment his Department has made of the risks to (a) those people and (b) others named in the trial.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The prosecution in Jimmy Lai's politically motivated trial has sought to highlight Mr Lai's
relationships with foreign nationals, including British nationals. The naming of British
nationals in this manner is unacceptable. If individuals named in any overseas trial have
concerns, we advise them to seek independent legal advice.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last raised the case of Jimmy Lai with US counterparts.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government welcomes US President Trump's public support for Jimmy Lai. Mr. Lai's case remains an utmost priority; his prosecution is politically motivated, and he should be released. The Foreign Secretary and her officials remain in regular contact with the US Government on this matter.
Asked by: Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative - Chingford and Woodford Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Russia on the airstrike on the Dnipro Theological Seminary of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine; and what diplomatic steps he is is taking to (a) support the protection of religious minorities and (b) uphold freedom of religion or belief in Ukraine.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), as well as the damage done to places of worship and religious significance. Ukraine's democracy is well known for its commitment to religious pluralism. The UK regularly engages with Ukrainian religious groups and the Government of Ukraine on this issue, including on Law 8371 which mandates that religious organisations must cut ties with the Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate in response to clear national security threats. In February, a delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches met Parliamentarians and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials to discuss religious persecution in the temporarily occupied territories.