Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will raise with the UN the issue of the failure of the Indian Government to respond to the letter of 16 August 2023 from the UN Rapporteurs for Freedom of Religion or Belief and for Minority Issues on religious persecution in that country.

The UK Government remains committed to championing human rights around the world and we work with the UN and other multilateral fora to promote Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). For India's 2022 Universal Periodic Review, we recommended India reinforce efforts to protect the rights of all minorities as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. We have a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India, and discuss all elements of our relationship, including human rights and FoRB, and raise concerns where we have them, including at Ministerial level.