Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of human rights concerns in Bahrain on diplomatic relations between the UK and Bahrain.

Bahrain is an important partner to the UK and we have a close and long-standing relationship. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue in which we work together on a range of issues of mutual benefit, including defence, security, trade and investment, and human rights. The FCDO remains committed to supporting Bahrain's human rights reforms, including through projects delivered via the Gulf Strategy Fund. The FCDO's most recent assessment of the human rights situation in Bahrain is in the annual 2021 FCDO Human Rights and Democracy Report, published in December 2022.