Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has held discussions with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers on appointing an LGBT special envoy as part of the Government's LGBT Action Plan 2018: Improving the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people; and if she will make a statement.

The promotion and protection of LGBT rights is a UK priority. We work to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise same sex relations. My Ministerial colleagues and I, and every one of our Ambassadors and High Commissioners worldwide act as envoys on this issue.

We consider that it is more effective to promote the rights of LGBT people as part of a broader approach to equality and non-discrimination, and through the regular engagement of FCO Ministers and officials at our Embassies and High Commissions overseas. We have no current plans to appoint a Special Envoy to work exclusively on LGBT rights.

We announced in the action plan published recently, that we will continue to promote LGBT rights internationally through our overseas missions and through international organisations, including the UN, European institutions and the Commonwealth. We also provide funding to promote LGBT equality. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy has committed £1.1 million to support LGBT rights projects worldwide in 2018 and 2019, and the Department for International Development will provide up to £12 million over four years, from 2018 to 2022, for a consortium of organisations to work together to promote LGBT inclusion.