Business of the House

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 9th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Campbell]

I do indeed join my hon. Friend in thanking everyone involved in making her summer school a success and all the volunteers who support youth groups in all our areas. I have heard many good things about her summer school—long may it continue.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Will the Leader of the House ask the Foreign Secretary what recent assessment she has made of the case of Uyghur Muslim Rahile Dawut, a folklorist and academic imprisoned in China solely for her faith and cultural identity, and what steps His Majesty’s Government have taken to secure her immediate release and to uphold freedom of religion or belief across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s foreign policy commitments?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

As ever, the hon. Gentleman raises a serious issue. As he knows, we stand firm on violations of human rights. We have raised our concerns regarding the treatment of Uyghur Muslims with the highest levels of the Chinese Government. I will ensure that he gets a response from the Foreign Secretary, who will have heard his remarks, so that we can get the specifics of that case.