Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what further steps he intends to take to encourage the Sri Lankan authorities to review the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1978.

I visited Sri Lanka from 14 to 17 January when I discussed a wide range of issues with the government of Sri Lanka, including the need for it to fulfil its commitment to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Officials at the British High Commission in Colombo will continue to encourage progress. We are also working closely with our international partners to encourage the government to address this concern. The EU issue was raised during the EU-Sri Lanka Human Rights Working Group discussions in Colombo on 19 to 22 January.