Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) respond to Christian persecution globally.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.

We continue to monitor human rights, including FoRB, across the globe through our overseas network. We draw on a range of resources to support our monitoring, including the annual Open Doors report on Christian persecution.

We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts. We will continue to monitor and respond to the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside the persecution of other groups.