The Government regularly raises Gibraltar with EU partners and the EU institutions. We have made it clear to Spain that unlawful incursions are unacceptable. We have not asked the European Commission or any other Member State to take any specific action in relation to incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters because they have no locus on this issue.

The main focus of our lobbying within the EU remains Spain’s unlawful, unjustified and disproportionate action at the border. The Government is pleased that a second border monitoring mission was sent to Gibraltar on 2 July 2014, following concerted lobbying of the European Commission. We have also been very clear to the Commission and other Member States that Spain’s attempts to suspend Gibraltar from EU aviation legislation are unacceptable. We lobby on other Gibraltar issues within the EU as required.

As a close friend of Brunei we have raised our concerns on the implementation of a Sharia penal code in Brunei directly with them and will continue those discussions bilaterally. We have not raised the issue with the Association of South East Asian Nations. I discussed the Sharia code with His Majesty The Sultan, as well as the Crown Prince, Foreign Minister, the Grand Mufti and other senior ministers during my recent visit to Brunei on 19 April, and more recently with Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Pehin Lim, on 9 July. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon ( Mr Swire), also raised the issue in his meeting with Brunei's High Commissioner to London on 14 July. We urge the authorities in Brunei to consider the impact of the new code very carefully, and specifically ensure implementation is in line with international human rights norms and Brunei’s international obligations. The UK is opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and in all countries.

I raised the introduction of a sharia penal code with His Majesty The Sultan, as well as the Crown Prince, Foreign Minister, the Grand Mufti and other senior ministers during my visit to Brunei on 19 April. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised our concerns with Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Pehin Lim, on 12 June and again with Brunei's High Commissioner to London on 14 July. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara) also discussed the introduction of a sharia penal code with the Bruneian Attorney General at the Commonwealth Law Ministers' meeting on 6 May. The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), raised concerns with his opposite number at a Commonwealth Health Ministers’ meeting on 18 May.

Indonesia has a strong tradition of religious diversity and tolerance but there has been a rise in recent years of localised instances of inter- and intra-religious conflict, and examples where the rights of religious minority groups have not been protected. We remain concerned that some local bylaws abrogate the rights of women and religious minority groups.

We continue to monitor the situation and raise our concerns with the Government of Indonesia. I have convened meetings of international leaders, including with the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, to generate practical steps to promote freedom of religion or belief, and to fight religious intolerance within our societies.

Our Ambassador in Jakarta has discussed these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law & Security, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. We have supported projects to improve respect for freedom of religion or belief. We also raise freedom of religion and belief concerns at the annual EU-Indonesia Human Rights Dialogue.

We will continue to press the Indonesian government and law enforcement agencies to uphold Indonesia’s constitutional right to religious freedom, including ensuring that laws and regulations at all levels provide protection for minority faiths.

Implementation of Brunei’s criminal sharia code is planned in three phases, the first of which came into effect on 1 May 2014. No prosecutions have yet been brought under the new code and to date we assess the impact of the new code has been limited. However, a lack of clarity over implementation and intent has caused concern. We have urged the authorities in Brunei to consider the implementation of the new code carefully and ensure that it is in line with international human rights norms and Brunei’s international obligations. UK Ministers have clearly set out our views to the most senior levels of the Bruneian government and will continue to do so.

We look forward to working with the new Indonesian president, following the inauguration on 20 October, on a range of areas of mutual interest, including freedom of religion.

Indonesia has a strong tradition of religious diversity and tolerance but there has been a rise in recent years of localised instances of inter- and intra-religious conflict. We will encourage the next President’s government to uphold Indonesia’s constitutional right to religious freedom or belief, including ensuring that laws and regulations at all levels provide protection for minority faiths.

There have been no unlawful incursions into British (UK) territorial waters by naval or other vessels of European Union countries other than Spain since 2010. Further to my written answer on 18 June (WA 38), there have been no unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by naval or other vessels of European Union countries other than Spain since 2010.

The total number of unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW), from 2010 onwards, are as follows:

2010 – 103

2011 – 24

2012 – 229

2013 – 496

Jan-May 2014 – 185

During this period, the Spanish Ambassador has been summoned three times on incursions related matters – 15 November 2012, 19 November 2013 and 2 April 2014. The British Government cannot readily provide statistics for incursions into BGTW by Spanish State vessels before 2010. This could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. The Government upholds British sovereignty over BGTW by challenging and protesting unlawful incursions. We will continue to make representations to the Spanish government at the highest level, making clear the damage they cause to our bilateral relationship.

The British Government is aware of 559 people who have been sentenced to death in Egypt during 2014, including 529 by a court in Minya on 24 March. We are deeply concerned by these sentences. We have raised this issue with the Egyptian government, most recently during the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague)’s meeting with Foreign Minister Fahmy on 2 April. The Foreign Secretary asked the Egyptian government to review these sentences as a matter of urgency and to ensure that the individuals’ human and legal rights were properly upheld. The Foreign Secretary also made a statement on 24 March in which he expressed his concern over the sentences.

It is the long-standing policy of the British Government to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances

Our assessment is that unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by Spanish State vessels are a futile attempt to assert Spain’s legal position in respect of the waters. Incursions are a violation of sovereignty, not a threat to it. They do not weaken or undermine the legal basis in international law for British sovereignty over Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.

We have concerns about restrictions on freedom of religious belief in China, and raise them regularly with Chinese counterparts. We are aware of particular cases such as that of Bishop Ma Deqin, who is reportedly being kept under house arrest at the Sheshan seminary in Shanghai. We raise our particular concerns publicly through our Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report.

The UK is clear that the EU Accession process remains the most effective mechanism for continuing reform in Turkey and we remain fully committed to, and supportive of, that process. As a candidate country, the EU expects Turkey to promote the values of freedom of expression, democracy and the rule of law.

We were concerned by the recent bans on Twitter and You Tube and welcome the fact that the ban on Twitter has now been lifted. We believe social media has a vital role to play in a modern democracy, helping to promote transparency and vibrant public debate.

The UK and Turkey enjoy a strong bilateral relationship based on trust and shared interests. We have an open dialogue on a range of issues, and this cooperation remains strong across the full range of diplomatic, cultural and social interchanges.

We were concerned to hear reports that some Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) priests in Crimea had been subjected to written and verbal intimidation. There are credible reports that risk of further persecution remains high and some priests have gone into hiding. However, many priests continue to serve at their churches as they wish to support their congregations though the current crisis. On 18 March the Major Archbishop of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with the Pope and thanked him for the support he has offered Ukraine so far during the crisis.

The British Government is committed to confronting religious persecution wherever it occurs. We strongly support the human rights assessment work being carried out in Ukraine by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office on Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and also the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, which

aims to collect and establish reliable information on events in Ukraine and Crimea with an impact on human or minority rights.

Father Mykola Kvych, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) priest, was abducted by armed men on Saturday 15 March. On 17 March the UGCC reported that he had been released and was currently on the Ukrainian mainland.

We have been concerned to see reports of the intimidation of some minority religious groups in Ukraine. On 4 March the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which unites 90% of religious communities in Ukraine, issued a statement which condemned provocations seeking to promote confrontation and hostility between people in different regions of Ukraine and between different ethnic and religious minorities.

The priority for the new government in Ukraine is to stabilise the security situation. Longer-term, there is a pressing need for constitutional reform, improvements to Ukraine’s political culture, free elections, an end to pervasive corruption and the construction of a stable political structure. We look to the new government to create the conditions for such change, and to ensure accountability for human rights violations within a legal structure that meets international standards.

The British Government is committed to confronting religious persecution wherever it occurs. We strongly support the human rights assessment work being carried out in Ukraine by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office on Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and also the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, which aims to collect and establish reliable information on events in Ukraine and Crimea with an impact on human or minority rights.

We support the European Commission in encouraging the Turkish government to ensure that any new internet legislation is implemented in line with EU standards and does not infringe on the right to freedom of expression.

The Minister for Europe, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), discussed internet legislation with the Turkish Minister for Justice in Ankara on 25 February.

We and our EU partners will continue to underline the importance of freedom of expression and other fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government.

Representatives of the British Government and the Government of Spain routinely discuss matters related to Ceuta and Melilla as part of our regular bilateral engagement on security issues, such as organised crime and terrorism.

The UK has not made a specific assessment of the religious freedoms of the Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jews in Istanbul, Turkey.

However we continue to discuss wider issues concerning Freedom of Religion and Minority Rights with our Turkish interlocutors and welcome the positive steps taken by the Turkish government in this area.

Together with our EU partners, we will continue to encourage further progress.

We support the assessment of the European Commission, which has acknowledged the progress made by Turkey in recent years. The Commission has highlighted the need to engage in early consultations on all laws related to both the accession process and the political criteria. Where concerns are raised, the Commission has undertaken to support Turkey to ensure compatibility with EU standards.

We encourage the Turkish government to ensure that the implementation of any reform does not infringe on the principles of separation of powers and an impartial judiciary.

The Minister for Europe, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), made this clear during discussions on this legislation with the Turkish Minister for Justice in Ankara on 25 February.

The UK is clear that the EU Accession process remains the most effective mechanism for continuing reform in Turkey and we remain fully committed to, and supportive of, that process.

The British Government continues to monitor closely the situation of religious minorities in Turkey.

We have noted the continued implementation of legislation from 2011, which amended the 2008 Law on Foundations, to allow the return of properties to religious minorities or the payment of compensation.

Religious services are now permitted at the Greek Orthodox Sumela Monastery and Armenian Orthodox Akdamar Church.

The Ministry of National Education has begun the issuing of updated religious textbooks for schools which include information on the Alevi faith. During consultations for a new constitution, faith groups were invited to parliament to give their views. We also welcome the continued outreach by the Turkish government to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew, particularly on the issue of the Halki Seminary. Prime

Minister Erdogan announced on 30 September 2013 that the land containing the Mor Gabriel Monastary will be returned to the Syriac community in Turkey.

We welcome these positive steps taken by the Turkish government and, together with our EU partners, will continue to encourage further progress.