Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to secure the release of British hostages in Iran.

The UK does not, and never will, accept our nationals being used as diplomatic leverage.  The Iranian Government has put detained British nationals and their loved ones through unimaginably difficult ordeals, and it remains in Iran's gift to release any British National who has been unfairly detained. The Government continues to call out Iran's behaviour, including urging the Government of Iran to stop its practice of unfairly detaining British and other foreign nationals. With regard to individual detentions, our guiding principle is to act in the best interests of that individual. The Foreign Secretary, FCDO Ministers and - where appropriate - the Prime Minister are fully engaged in complex cases and have raised issues with foreign governments.