Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of downgrading the UK's diplomatic relations with Iran.

The UK-Iran bilateral relationship is an important part of our policy and a key enabling tool in achieving our wider goals. Maintaining diplomatic ties allows the UK to address important issues of human rights, UK security, our consular cases and Iran's role in the region. We do not agree on everything, but it is right that Britain and Iran should maintain dialogue. The Foreign Secretary summoned the Iranian Chargé d'affaires on 3 October and on 11 November, to make our dissatisfaction with Iran's actions clear. We also reiterated to the Chargé on 26 October the need for Iran to adhere to internationally recognised human rights. The UK also engages the Iranian authorities on a full range of issues through His Majesty's Ambassador and the British Embassy in Tehran.