Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what specific issues in relation to LGBT rights in Brunei were raised between the Minister of State and the Foreign Minister of Brunei in their meeting of 9 December 2021; and what the response from Foreign Minister II Erywan was.

The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We continue to raise human rights and respect of individual freedoms as part of our bilateral discussions with Brunei. In my meeting with the Foreign Minister of Brunei on 9 December I discussed LGBT+ issues, including in the context of the implementation of Brunei's Sharia Penal Code Order. The Foreign Minister of Brunei welcomed discussions on these areas.