Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the Government has made to the Government of Qatar on human rights and the rights of LGBT people in that country.

​The UK's close relationship with Qatar means that we can raise a range of human rights issues with them. I am pleased that at the UN General Assembly last year, Qatar signed up to the Prime Minister's Call to Action to end modern slavery. This year, both the Rt Hon Lord Ahmad and I met with Qatar's National Human Rights committee to discuss a range of human rights issues affecting Qataris and people living in Qatar. In addition, in March I met the Secretary General of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of the World Cup in 2022 and discussed the measures taken to improve both the living and working conditions of construction workers. Since then, the International Labour Organisation, the ILO, has opened an office in Doha to work with Qatar on migrant workers' rights. The British Government stands ready to assist and support Qatar's continued efforts to implement the ILO's recommended reforms.