Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the Government of Mexico on the potential effect of its Internal Security Law passed in December 2017 on freedom of expression and the ability to hold free and fair elections in Mexico.

Mexico's Internal Security Law provides a legal framework for the military's role in public security. As the law is yet to come into force, the implications of its implementation are unknown.

The Embassy has supported the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has raised concerns with the Government of Mexico on certain aspects of the law, including weaknesses in civilian oversight and accountability. Embassy officials will continue to monitor the implementation of the law including the pending Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality. The British Embassy funds programmes on human rights, security and justice, including an Embassy-facilitated seminar with the Mexican military and police forces in 2017. We will continue to look for opportunities to work with Mexico in this area, and to urge the Mexican Government to prioritise the reform and strengthening of the police forces.