Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has received from faith leaders on the merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.

The Government continues to engage with all relevant stakeholders on issues relating to the merger. We believe that faith and belief leaders have a valuable role to play in promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief and in other areas, particularly in regards to other human rights issues, and we continue to work with them closely.

Ministers in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office and former Department for International Development have received correspondence regarding the merger of these latter two departments from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the International Group of The Church of Wales and Amanda Mukwashi, CEO of Christian Aid.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon has also responded to an oral question on the merger in the House from the Lord Bishop of Rochester on 27 July 2020.

The Government will continue its ongoing engagement with UK and international NGOs on issues relating to the merger.