Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Government of Sudan on that Government's response to protests in that country.

I raised concern regarding the response to protests in Sudan, including the use of lethal force, with the Sudanese Foreign Minister on 22 January and emphasised the importance of respect for the rule of law and for human rights. In addition, senior officials in Khartoum continue to engage regularly with the Government of Sudan to register UK concerns directly, stressing the need for an end to violence and delivering much needed economic and political reforms for the people of Sudan.