Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of restrictions on media freedom in Tanzania; and what representations he has made to the Government of Tanzania on that subject.

Over recent years, we have noted a shrinking of public space in Tanzania through increased restrictions on the activities of civil society organisations, political parties and the media. Respect for human rights and the rule of law have been repeatedly undermined. We have made our concerns about this known to the Government of Tanzania at both Ministerial and official level. The UK is fully committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists. The Foreign Secretary announced on 31 October 2018 the launch of an international campaign on media freedom and that the UK will host an International Conference aimed at promoting the value and benefits of a free media and to mobilise an international consensus on the protection of journalists as the guardians of our freedoms.