Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the safety of (a) LGBT fans travelling to the World Cup and (b) other LGBT travellers to Russia; and if he will make a statement.

As part of the 'Be on the Ball' campaign, the FCO has published specific travel advice for the World Cup next year (www.gov.uk/russia2018). We recommend all British fans travelling to the World Cup in Russia in 2018 have a close look at this advice. FCO travel advice for Russia is clear on the need to be careful as an LGBT visitor to the country, particularly following the introduction of a law banning the promotion of 'non-traditional sexual relations' in June 2013, given its potential to legitimise homophobia and encourage violence against LGBT people. The issue of LGBT rights is one that we raise regularly with the Russian authorities.