Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will he make representations to the Egyptian Government on the attack on Mar Mina Church in Helwan on 29 December 2017 by IS terrorists in order to establish what steps are being taken to apprehend the perpetrators of that attack.

​We strongly condemn the recent attacks in Egypt against the Coptic Christian community, claimed by Daesh, and welcome the swift response by the Egyptian authorities in arresting the perpetrators. We welcome President Sisi's calls for peaceful coexistence and the Egyptian Government’s expression of support for the rights of Christians and for religious tolerance. The British Government is committed to working with international partners, including Egypt, to strengthen the protection of freedom of religion or belief. The Government continues to work closely with the Egyptian authorities on security and counter-terrorism.