Written questions by Dhesi.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria his Department uses to assess applications to the John Bunyan Fund.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's John Bunyan Fund provides funding to overseas posts to support the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all around the world. UK posts are invited to submit applications that support the central objective of the fund: to curtail FoRB violations and abuses. Diplomatic missions have full control over the exact design and scope of project work to best develop an intervention that suits their specific in-country context and priorities and is complementary to any other financing they receive.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Indian counterpart on Jagtar Singh Johal's recent acquittal.

The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian External Affairs Minister on 5 March, during his visit to the UK. The UK Government will continue to make clear to the Government of India that faster progress is needed toward a full resolution of Mr Johal's cases, including a full and independent investigation into his allegations of torture.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on freedom of expression in Pakistan.

The UK is clear that the freedom to express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. I raised the importance of upholding freedom of information when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and discussed the safety of Pakistani journalists in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The UK also runs the Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship to support South Asian journalists. The UK is committed to promoting human rights and democratic norms in Pakistan - a commitment I discussed with representatives from the UK-Pakistan diaspora on 18 February 2025. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to uphold the right to freedom of expression in accordance with international standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is (a) protected and (b) maintained internationally.

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, including the FCDO John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on human rights in Pakistan.

Promoting human rights is an important part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the importance of upholding civil and political rights with senior Pakistani Ministers, including the Minister for Human Rights and Interior Minister, during my visit to Pakistan in November. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with Pakistan's Constitution and international standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on press freedom within Pakistan.

The UK is a champion of media freedom and proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. We are deeply concerned by restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan and regularly raise this issue at the highest levels. I underlined the importance of upholding freedom of information when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and discussed the safety of journalists in Parliament on 28 November. We will continue to advocate for improved legislation and stronger institutions to enable a free and independent media and ensure the safety of journalists.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that British hostages released by Hamas are receiving (a) repatriation support, (b) medical treatment and (c) other appropriate support and care.

We stand ready to provide further support to British and British-linked hostages and their families and will continue to work closely with Israeli authorities in the coming weeks.British and British-linked individuals taken hostage by Hamas are also Israeli nationals with Israel as their place of habitual residence. The Israeli Government has provided extensive support to the families of hostages since 7 October and is providing ongoing care to released hostages, including medical treatment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on inheritance rights for the Ahmadiyya community.

We work to protect and promote human rights in Pakistan through our diplomatic engagement and programme funding. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister in November, though inheritance rights were not raised specifically. The British High Commission also regularly raises the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights at the highest levels. The UK will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of the reported persecution of Christians in Southeast Asia, particularly in (a) Brunei, (b) Laos, (c) the Maldives, (d) Malaysia, (e) Myanmar, and (f) Indonesia.

The UK champions and 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 continue to highlight FoRB violations and abuses globally including in Southeast Asia.We also use our skilled global diplomatic network to engage directly with governments. Ministers and FCDO officials regularly raise specific cases of concern, such as limitations on freedom of expression and other human rights issues, including freedom of religion or belief, both publicly and in private.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote the protection of religious freedom in (a) Brunei, (b) Laos, (c) the Maldives, (d) Malaysia, (e) Myanmar and (f) Indonesia.

The UK champions, and remains strongly committed to, Freedom of Religious 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 organisations, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. The UK continues to hold countries to account on their FoRB commitments and obligations, including Southeast Asian nations, through our engagement with the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and at the UN Human Rights Council. This work is mutually reinforcing of our wider human rights efforts, underpinning our belief that human rights are universal.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken with (a) international counterparts and (b) the Secretary of State for Defence to remove explosive ordnance from areas that have previously been conflict zones.

The FCDO-funded Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP) is the Government's main programme for removing mines, cluster munitions and other explosive ordinance from previous conflict zones. GMAP currently funds clearance in Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Laos, Somalia, South Sudan, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. The Integrated Security Fund also funds clearance in Sri Lanka and Tajikistan. In October 2024, the UK participated in a Ukraine mine action conference, that re-affirmed donor commitment to supporting Ukraine's national mine action strategy. In November 2024, the UK participated in the 5th Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. Clearing legacy contamination is outside the remit of Ministry of Defence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps the Government is taking to help ensure NATO member states meet the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence.

At the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in December, the Foreign Secretary and I called on all Allies to boost their defence spending. This is a strategic imperative and it is why the UK is committed to setting out a pathway to 2.5% of GDP at a future fi...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in India on the detention of Jagtar Singh Johal.

We remain absolutely committed to pushing the Government of India for faster progress to resolve Jagtar Singh Johal's case. The Foreign Secretary has raised Mr Johal's case with his Indian counterpart on several occasions, most recently on 25 November. Th...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the APPG report entitled Deaths Abroad, Consular Services and Assistance Report 2019: Why families in the UK deserve better and what can be done, whether hi

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) engaged with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Deaths Abroad, Consular Services and Assistance following the publication of its report on 2 November 2019. The report's recommendations were taken i...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question 14865 on British Council: Finance, what the planned expenditure of the British Council is for 2024/25.

The British Council's Corporate Plan for 2024/25 sets out its projected expenditure as £1,069.5 million and projected total income as £1,047.5 million.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's procedures are for informing relatives when a British national dies abroad in (a) non-suspicious and (b) suspicious circumstances.

When the FCDO Consular Directorate is first notified of the death of a British national abroad, consular staff will, wherever possible, arrange for the relevant police force to notify UK-based relatives as soon as possible.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how their Department defines strategy.

The definition is detailed in the Functional Standards Common Glossary, which is published on the gov.uk website.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps they are taking to use (a) artificial intelligence and (b) data to help increase their Department's productivity.

Artificial Intelligence and data offer significant opportunities for the FCDO to enhance decision-making, productivity and increase the effectiveness of its interventions.The FCDO is implementing a multi-year Digital, Data, and Cyber Security Strategy to ...