Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has submitted any recent human rights reports to the UN on China's regulation of (a) religious education and (b) clergy training.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Chinese regulations on religious activity severely restrict religious and cultural expression in China. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief.

We continue to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora. We have raised these concerns recently with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights. We also joined an Australia-led joint statement at the UN General Assembly in October 2024 on freedoms in the Xinjiang and Tibetan regions, calling out the erosion of educational and religious rights and freedoms in China.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support schools to (a) identify and (b) manage risks related to children and young people accessing gambling content through (i) websites, (ii) apps and (iii) social media.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is committed to helping schools in England protect pupils from online harms, including gambling content accessed via websites, apps, and social media.

The ‘keeping children safe in education’ guidance makes clear that schools and colleges should ensure appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place and their effectiveness is regularly reviewed. This limits children's exposure to harmful content, including gambling, while on school-managed computers.

To help schools meet their safeguarding obligations, the department has published filtering and monitoring standards. These standards set out how schools can effectively assign roles and responsibilities, review filtering and monitoring annually, block harmful illegal and inappropriate content, and implement monitoring strategies.

Online safety is also embedded in the curriculum through relationships, sex and health education, where pupils are taught about the risks of harmful online behaviours, including gambling.

The department continues to share best practice with counterparts across the UK.

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 Armenia on tackling the transit of goods from (a) western countries to Russia and (b) Russia to western countries through Armenia in order to circumvent sanctions.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I raised the issue of Russian sanctions evasion with the Armenian Foreign Minister on 11 April, in the margins of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, as I have with other international partners. The UK Government has issued tailored guidance to UK exporters working with businesses in several countries, including Armenia, to raise awareness of the risks associated with sanctions circumvention and to support compliance with UK sanctions law. The UK Government has also recently published guidance for non-UK businesses operating in countries where there is a heightened risk of circumvention of UK sanctions. This guidance has been translated into local languages including Armenian.

As I have reiterated in my conversations with international partners, including Armenia, maintaining vigilance against Russian sanctions evasion is critical. Any circumvention undermines the effectiveness of international pressure on Russia and risks prolonging the war in Ukraine. I am pleased to see an ongoing decrease in Common High Priority (CHP) items exported from Armenia to Russia over the course of the past year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic conditions his Department has attached to engaging with the transitional authorities in Sudan on freedom of religion or belief.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will continue to recognise the persecution of individuals on the basis of their religion or belief. On 8 July, the Minister for Africa co-hosted the launch of the UK Approach to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) with David Smith MP, UK Special Envoy for FoRB, with the overarching goal to reduce the number of countries in which the right to FoRB is significantly curtailed. The Minister for Africa expressed concern about the situation for religious and ethnic minorities impacted by Sudan's war. David Smith MP also made a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 4 March, highlighting our unease about the coercion of non-Muslims in Sudan to change their beliefs through denial of work, food aid, and education. The UK's Special Representative for Sudan has visited Port Sudan three times since December 2024 to press the Sudanese Armed Forces to comply with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians from continued atrocities. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials have raised similar issues in communication with representatives from the Rapid Support Forces on different occasions since the start of the conflict. We have used these exchanges to request that their leadership make every effort to protect civilians and cease atrocities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will give posthumous awards to John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby who previously served in the armed forces and were killed whilst delivering aid in Gaza in April 2024.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is replying because, at the time of their deaths, John Chapman, James Henderson and James Kirby were not serving members of the UK Armed Forces and were working overseas.

Government's priority is securing justice for the appalling strike that killed John Chapman, James Henderson, and James Kirby. We continue to press Israel to swiftly conclude the Military Advocate General's investigation into events on the 1 April 2024, including determining whether criminal proceedings should be initiated. The Foreign Secretary has repeatedly pressed Foreign Affairs Minister Sa'ar and Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer for the Military Advocate General to conclude consideration of the case swiftly and thoroughly.

The FCDO looked carefully at the very sad circumstances of their deaths and acknowledge their sacrifice and dedicated contribution but there are no national UK awards that they would be eligible for. However, we continue to support the family and the Prime Minister met with them on 9 June.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on the killing of over 200 Christians in Yelewata on 19 June 2025; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) support the protection of religious minorities and (b) hold perpetrators accountable in that country.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

While the Foreign Secretary has not yet discussed the violent attacks in Yelewata with his Nigerian counterpart, UK officials have been actively engaging on broader security issues in Benue State. On 10 June, UK officials met the Member of the House of Representatives for Makurdi/Guma in Benue State to discuss the root causes of insecurity in the region. During his visit to Nigeria in May, the Minister for Africa raised Freedom of Religion and Belief and ongoing insecurity in discussions with Nigerian counterparts, including the Foreign Minister and Deputy Speaker. We are working with Nigeria's security forces to tackle insecurity and violence against civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems, through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). Additionally, through the Strengthening Peace and Resilience Programme (SPRiNG), the UK supports initiatives to enhance the capacity of state institutions and community groups to arrest and prosecute perpetrators.

Richard Madeley and the Northern Ireland economy

UK-based medical charities in Palestine

Animals

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

Equitable national prostate cancer screening

Proposals to resettle people from Palestine in the United Kingdom

Road Traffic (No. 2)

EU Import Control System 2

Road Traffic

Found: Renfrewshire North) Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat; Tewkesbury) John Whitby (Labour; Derbyshire Dales) Sammy Wilson

Found: Ellie Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Chris Hinchliff; Martin Rhodes; Blake Stephenson; John Whitby; Sammy Wilson

Found: Ellie Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Chris Hinchliff; Martin Rhodes; Blake Stephenson; John Whitby; Sammy Wilson

Found: Franklin; Dr Rupa Huq; Leigh Ingham; Jessica Morden; Ben Obese-Jecty; John Slinger; Sir Mark Tami; Sammy Wilson

Found: Alison Griffiths; Chris Hinchliff; Blake Stephenson; Alison Taylor; Cameron Thomas; John Whitby; Sammy Wilson

Found: Alison Griffiths; Chris Hinchliff; Blake Stephenson; Alison Taylor; Cameron Thomas; John Whitby; Sammy Wilson

Submit Evidence (by 10 Oct 2025)

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an open call for potential topics of inquiry in the areas of climate change, the environment and nature.