Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic démarches his department has delivered to advance religious freedom during bilateral visits to Vietnam.

I pressed the Vietnamese Government to respect people's rights to speak freely, to meet in groups, and to practice their religion during my October 2024 visit to Vietnam. I followed up with my counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Hang, on 17 March and will keep raising this with Vietnam alongside our Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief, David Smith MP. The UK-Vietnam Strategic Partnership includes cooperation on human rights, including concerns about religious freedom.