The European Union election observation mission to Egypt issued a preliminary statement on 29 May. Their headline assessment was “Presidential elections administered in line with the law, in an environment falling short of constitutional principles”. We followed the presidential election closely and staff from our Cairo Embassy took part in the EU’s Electoral Observation Mission. The EU Observation Mission will issue its full report in due course.

The EU Observation Mission reflected concern about the Egyptian public’s ability to express political dissent and exercise freedom of speech or association. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised these concerns in the run up to the elections with his Egyptian counterpart, most recently on 14 May, and in a statement on 3 June. We look to President Sisi to take steps to implement the rights contained in Egypt’s constitution by opening up political space, especially with regard to freedom of expression and association.

The EU has made considerable efforts to support political transition in Egypt since 2011, through its European Neighbourhood Policy and “Support for Partnership, Reforms and Inclusive Growth” (SPRING) funding.

In their report on the 2014 European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) package, ‘Neighbourhood at a Crossroads: Taking Stock of a Year of Challenges’ issued in March 2014, the European External Access Service and Commission found that no significant progress had been made towards the current ENP action plan in 2013 and most of the recommendations made in last year’s report were still relevant. It found that Egypt needed to make improvements in key areas, such as to ensure the constitution is implemented with full respect for human rights, create conditions for an active civil society, and ensure the protection of women’s rights and gender equality. Since this report the EU also provided an Election Observation Mission to monitor Presidential elections in May 2014.

An initial amount of €90 million was allocated in 2011-12 to Egypt from the EU’s SPRING funds, part of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). Subsequent political and human rights developments meant that no further funding from this mechanism was allocated to Egypt at that time.

In the 2013-14 financial year the Human Rights and Democracy Programme (HRDP) received 218 proposals for funding. Seventeen of these proposals were for work associated with Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB), representing 7.8% of proposals received. Six projects were ultimately funded, to the value of £214,029. This represents 3.3% of the total resource available.

The programme is keen to see more good quality project bids on this theme in future bidding rounds, and have actively encouraged more quality bids for the 2014-15 financial year.

In the 2013-14 financial year the Human Rights and Democracy Programme (HRDP) received 218 proposals for funding. Seventeen of these proposals were for work associated with Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB), representing 7.8% of proposals received. Six projects were ultimately funded, to the value of £214,029. This represents 3.3% of the total resource available.

The programme is keen to see more good quality project bids on this theme in future bidding rounds, and have actively encouraged more quality bids for the 2014-15 financial year.

In the 2013-14 financial year the Human Rights and Democracy Programme (HRDP) received 218 proposals for funding. Seventeen of these proposals were for work associated with Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB), representing 7.8% of proposals received. Six projects were ultimately funded, to the value of £214,029. This represents 3.3% of the total resource available.

The programme is keen to see more good quality project bids on this theme in future bidding rounds, and have actively encouraged more quality bids for the 2014-15 financial year.

Human rights were not amongst the issues discussed by Sir Simon Gass on his visit to Iran in April: his interlocutors did not have responsibilities in this area. However, the UK's non-resident Chargé d’Affaires discussed human rights with a range of Iranian government officials during his visit to Iran on 12 March 2014. He raised the use of the death penalty, freedom of religion and the workings of the criminal justice system. Prior to that, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised Iran’s human rights records with Iranian foreign minister Zarif at the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2013.

The new Egyptian constitution, adopted in January 2014, states that the judicial system is independent, and allows the judiciary its own budget, and to appoint the Prosecutor General and members of the Supreme Constitutional Court. We do, however, have some concerns over recent judicial decisions, including the sentencing to death of 529 people in Minya on 24 March. Reports that many of the defendants were tried in their absence and may not have been represented

properly are deeply troubling. We have been urging the Egyptian authorities to ensure that the rights of defendants are fully respected in all cases.

The vast majority of people in Somalia are Muslim (around 99.8%) and Islam is recognised as the official state religion in

Somalia’s provisional constitution. The majority of reports of restriction of religious freedom relate to human rights abuses by Al Shabaab.

The January 2014 constitutional referendum was an important moment for millions of Egyptians who expressed their opinion through the ballot box. We welcome the fact that the new constitution includes better provisions for the protection of the rights of minorities, including Christians, and women. However, we are concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression for opposition groups and the press, both in the run-up to the referendum and since. We encourage Egypt’s interim authorities to ensure that Egypt’s democratic transition leads to free and fair presidential elections in a genuinely inclusive process. We are pleased to hear that the EU European External Action Service is discussing with Egyptian authorities its intention to send an Electoral Observation Mission to Egypt for the presidential elections.

Sectarian violence increased under President Morsi and has continued since. Amnesty report that 200 Christian-owned properties have been attacked and 43 churches burned down or damaged since July 2013. In September, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement in Parliament condemning the violence against Christian churches.

Article 64 of the 2014 constitution states that freedom of belief is absolute. The key test will be how the constitution is implemented, as many articles require additional legislation.

We have continued to raise the importance of respect for different religions and beliefs and the protection of religious minorities with the Egyptian authorities. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson), discussed the situation faced by Coptic Christians and implications of the new constitution in a meeting with Bishop Yulios during his visit to Cairo in December 2013. The Bishop was optimistic about the new Constitution provisions for religious minorities.

Ministers held two recent round-table meetings with the Sikh community and the Government is keen to ensure that constructive dialogue is maintained.

The EU European External Action Service is discussing with Egyptian authorities its intention to send an Electoral Observation Mission to Egypt for the upcoming presidential elections. We would support a deployment.

We continue to believe that the best way to create stability and prosperity in Egypt is through a genuinely inclusive political process open to all political groups that reject violence. The political future of Egypt belongs to the Egyptian people and we look forward to the elections when their voices can be heard.

The UK fully supports the decision of EU Foreign Ministers to suspend export licensing to Egypt for equipment which might be used for internal repression.

After the Foreign Affairs Council decision in August 2013, the UK suspended 48 export licences for equipment which might have been used for internal repression.

Subsequently, in line with Foreign Affairs Council conclusions, we have fully re-assessed all licences for Egypt. This resulted in the approval of 24 licences where we do not judge that the goods might be used for internal repression and the revocation of 3 licences where we judge that there is a clear risk that the goods might be used for internal repression. All licences for goods which we judge might be used for internal repression will remain suspended and several licences which were suspended have now expired so no action has been taken on them.

We continue to take the views of the Sikh community on this matter very seriously, and round-table meetings were hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 4th February and by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 25th February. The following organisations took part:

4th February

Sikh Council UK

Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)

Federation of Sikh Organisations

Sikh Organisation of Prisoner Welfare

Sikh Community and Youth Services

Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar

Akhand Kirtani Jatha

Sikh Youth Project

Kesri Leher/1984 Genocide Coalition

Akali Dal

Sikhs in England

United Sikhs

City Sikhs Network

Sikh Federation UK

25th February

Sikh Council UK

Federation of Sikh Organisations

Sikh Organisation of Prisoner Welfare

Kesri Leher

Sikh Community and Youth Services

Sikhs in England

City Sikhs Network

Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha

Sikh Federation UK

Indian Worker's Association

Young Sikhs UK

Sikh Care Society Heathrow

Sikh Community and Youth Services

Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)

We continue to take the views of the Sikh community on this matter very seriously, and round-table meetings were hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 4th February

and by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 25^th February. The following organisations took part:

4th February

Sikh Council UK

Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)

Federation of Sikh Organisations

Sikh Organisation of Prisoner Welfare

Sikh Community and Youth Services

Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar

Akhand Kirtani Jatha

Sikh Youth Project

Kesri Leher/1984 Genocide Coalition

Akali Dal

Sikhs in England

United Sikhs

City Sikhs Network

Sikh Federation UK

25th February

Sikh Council UK

Federation of Sikh Organisations

Sikh Organisation of Prisoner Welfare

Kesri Leher

Sikh Community and Youth Services

Sikhs in England

City Sikhs Network

Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha

Sikh Federation UK

Indian Workers Association

Young Sikhs UK

Sikh Care Society Heathrow

Sikh Community and Youth Services

Network of Sikh Organisations (UK)

Ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and our Ambassador to Tel Aviv, have spoken and written to both the Israeli Justice Minister and the Israeli Attorney General to make representations on the treatment of Palestinian child detainees and the need for Israel to abide by its obligations under international law. Most recently, our ambassador in Tel Aviv wrote again to the Israeli Justice Minister, Tzipi Livni, on 14 October and Embassy officials discussed the issue with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 16 September.

I can assure the Most Reverend and Noble Lord Bishop that we will continue to press for further progress on this important subject.

The Government of Iraq has told our Embassy in Baghdad that a committee will conduct a full and open investigation into the attack on Camp Ashraf on 1 September, and that its findings will be made public.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold the information requested. According to the Palestinian human rights organisation Addameer, the number of Palestinian children in all Israeli detention facilities as of 1 August 2013 was 195.