Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Fairhead on 14 November (HL2772), whether they have had discussions with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia, (2) United Arab Emirates, and (3) Bahrain, about the specific individual breaches of human rights identified by the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar; and what assessment they have made of the seriousness of those breaches.

While we have not raised these specific issues we call upon the Gulf States to find a way of de-escalating the situation and lifting the current restrictions, which are having an impact on the everyday lives of people in the region. The UK encourages all countries to uphold international human rights obligations and work with those determined to reform. Our embassies maintain regular dialogue with officials and leaders on a range of topics, including human rights issues.