Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Nicaraguan Government in relation to freedom of religious expression and human rights.

We have raised our concerns on the deteriorating human rights situation with Nicaraguan Government representatives in London, in Managua, at multilateral fora and publicly through a series of statements, including expressing concern about the harassment of the Church and its representatives. On 16 June the UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, delivered a statement on behalf of the UK during the Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner's report on Nicaragua. The UK will continue to work closely with partners to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Nicaragua.