Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through the provision of development assistance to protect freedom of religion and religious minorities globally.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. This includes the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) designated programme for FoRB-focused projects overseas, the John Bunyan Fund (JBF). The JBF supports a range of projects aimed at protecting and promoting FoRB. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.