Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote press freedom abroad.

A free and fair media is a fundamental building block for any functioning democracy, and for stability and prosperity worldwide. That understanding is integral to the UK’s international engagement, backed up by practical assistance, including through the FCO’s Magna Carta Fund, which is supporting relevant projects worth £1.3 million this year.