Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking internationally to challenge Iran's state hostage taking against UK and dual nationals.

The UK does not, and never will, accept our nationals being used as diplomatic leverage. It is vital that the international community take a firm stand against this abhorrent practice, wherever it arises. Under the UK Presidency of the G7 in 2021, leaders made opposing arbitrary detention a key priority for international action, including amplifying the Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations. The UK was among the first countries to endorse this declaration, an initiative led by Canada. We continue to work with likeminded partners around the world to challenge Iran's practice of unfairly detaining British and other foreign nationals.