FCDO is aware of Mr Ghahremani's case. We continue to call on Iran to establish a moratorium on executions, including at the UN General Assembly last year. We have sanctioned 94 individuals or entities for human rights violations since September 2022, including the Prosecutor General and Deputy Prosecutor General who are responsible for Iran's application of the death penalty. We continue to call for the release of all those who are unjustly detained in Iran.

There are no officials stationed in the British Antarctic Territory. The Territory has no permanent population and is administered by officials in London. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) operates three research stations in the BAT and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) manage the historic base, post office and museum at Port Lockroy.

UK ministers regularly raise human rights concerns with the Saudi authorities where appropriate. We will continue to raise human rights with the Saudi authorities through diplomatic channels, including via Ministers and the British Embassy in Riyadh.

The table below shows (in £ thousands) UK's total bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided for Cuba from 2010-2022 (the latest year for which data has been published). The UK publishes further details of programme funding on DevTracker. The UK also spends ODA in the form of unearmarked contributions to multilateral organisations and there is bilateral spend to programmes which benefit multiple countries or regions. Some of this may benefit Cuba but it is not possible to provide a specific breakdown.

The UK has a long standing policy of engagement with Cuba. Our relationship allows us to collaborate positively in areas of mutual interest and to talk frankly on matters where our views differ.

Source: Statistics for International Development

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The Government has audited the cost-effectiveness of all equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activities, through the review of EDI spending announced last June. On 14 May the Minister without Portfolio made a written statement [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-05-14/hcws464] on the latest findings from the review. In response to these findings, the Cabinet Office is publishing the Civil Service EDI Expenditure Guidance. This includes an end to all external spending on EDI activity, unless cleared and authorised by Ministers. Further guidance on diversity staff networks is being developed, and we will seek to publish additional data on historic spending to assist transparency in this area.

We have not raised Mr Ghanem's specific case directly with the Egyptians, but we regularly raise pre-trial detention cases, restrictions on media freedom and detentions of political activists with Egypt, both in London and Cairo. Lord [Tariq] Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed human rights with the Egyptian Ambassador on 20 February and with Foreign Minister Shoukry on 28 March. The Foreign Secretary raised human rights with FM Shoukry on 29 April.

We also raise human rights issues multilaterally through our Human Rights Council Item 4 Statements and detail our concerns through our Annual Human Rights and Development Reports.

The UK Government is aware of the challenges faced by indigenous people and their supporters in Peru. We monitor the threats that they face from groups linked to serious and organised crime, as well as the actions of the Peruvian Government to protect these communities. I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October 2023 and met with a group of indigenous peoples' leaders and representatives to hear firsthand about the main threats, challenges and opportunities experienced by these communities.

His Majesty's Consul General Miami raised the disappearance of Sarm Heslop with the Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) in person during visits to USVI on 22 April 2021 and 18 April 2023. The Consul General also raised the case with the USVI Police Commissioner during a visit to USVI in March 2022 and has remained in regular contact with the USVI authorities since Sarm Heslop's disappearance.

The FCDO is an accredited 'Disability Confident Leader' under the government's Disability Confident Scheme (https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/) which denotes organisations which have a positive commitment towards disabled people. Since April 2022, FCDO has a designated team which provides Reasonable Adjustments to its disabled UK-based staff in line with the Equality Act 2010. It also provides its disabled staff with a Workplace Adjustment Passport to facilitate the seamless retention of adjustments on a change of line manager, job role or move between business areas. FCDO's Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) provides guidance to hiring managers at each stage of recruitment to ensure applicants with disabilities are not disadvantaged. Candidates who opt in to the Guaranteed Interview Scheme who meet the minimum criteria for the role and who have demonstrated an acceptable mark in their application, will be offered an interview for the role. Any reasonable adjustments required at interview will be considered and implemented. Additional support for hiring managers is available by request. We remain fully committed to supporting disabled people globally through creating more opportunities, protecting their rights and ensuring they fully benefit from, and can contribute to, every aspect of our society.

I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October 2023 and held discussions with senior representatives of the Peruvian Government, including my former counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Higueras Hare and separately the former Minister for the Environment, Albina Ruiz. We discussed a range of issues including the protection of Peru's environment and the threats posed by serious organised crime, including illegal narcotics production.

I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October 2023 and held discussions with senior representatives of the Peruvian Government including my former counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Higueras Hare on issues including the importance of protecting human rights of minority and indigenous groups. The British Embassy in Lima monitors the threats that indigenous people, their leaders and supporters face from groups linked to serious and organised crime, as well as the actions of the Peruvian Government to protect these communities.

The UK condemns the continued repression of Christians and other religious minorities in Iran. At the 55th Human Rights Council, we issued a statement highlighting the discrimination faced by Christians on a daily basis, whether in accessing education, jobs, or places of worship. We co-sponsored the Iran Human Rights Resolution at UNGA 78, calling for Iran to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination on the basis of religion or belief. We continue to promote the rights of religious minorities in Iran, including through the Special Envoy on FoRB Fiona Bruce MP.

Following the announcement of a General Election on the 4 July 2024, publication of the refreshed UK Government Strategy for the Overseas Territories has to be deferred.

The UK condemns the death sentence of prominent and fearless artist Toomaj Salehi. On May 8, the UK Human Rights Ambassador to the UN in Geneva signed a joint statement calling for Salehi's immediate release and repeating our principled opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances. We have sanctioned 94 Iranian individuals or entities for human rights violations since September 2022, including the Prosecutor General and Deputy Prosecutor General responsible for Iran's application of the death penalty. We continue to call for Mr Salehi's release, and the release of all those who are unjustly detained by the Iranian regime.

I [Minister Rutley] visited Brazil in May, where I met with Rio Grande do Sul's representative to Brasilia, Henrique Pires, to discuss the impact of the floods, and how the international community can support. The UK has supported an allocation of £193,000 through the Start Fund to provide humanitarian aid in response to the flooding in Brazil and are working with British companies in Brazil to support their donation efforts. His Majesty The King has written to President Lula to offer his condolences. We are in regular communication with the Brazilian authorities to understand the evolving economic and environmental impact of the floods.

The UK is using the full range of diplomatic, economic and military tools at our disposal to pressure the Houthis to stop their reckless and indiscriminate attacks on international shipping and degrade their capabilities. We urge them and those who enable them to cease their attacks and avoid any further escalations, including in the Indian Ocean.

We and our allies continue to condemn the Houthi's attacks. We will continue to stand up for freedom of navigation.

We have raised the continued detention of individuals for expressing their political views, including women and women's rights defenders, with the Saudi authorities. The British Embassy in Riyadh continues to monitor a number of cases and will continue to attempt to attend trials where possible. FCDO regularly raises freedom of expression cases with the Saudi authorities, including as recently as 31 January by Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. Saudi Arabia remains a FCDO human rights priority country, in part due to continued restrictions on freedom of expression.

In March, the UK and Overseas Territories discussed their commitments and timelines to implement public registers, either accessible to all members of the public or with access predicated on 'legitimate interest'. I [Minister Rutley] re-stated the UK's expectation that where public access is predicated on 'legitimate interest' this will include media and civil society, among others, and is an interim step to access for all members of the public. The FCDO is funding expert NGO, Open Ownership, to provide technical assistance to expedite implementation; they are providing advice to the governments of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman, Montserrat, St. Helena, and Turks and Caicos. Officials are conducting a stocktake of progress.

There have been no reported terrorist incidents in (a) the Turks and Caicos Islands, (b) Bermuda or (c) the Cayman Islands in each of the last five years. We are working with the authorities to increase local capacity to respond to threats to security.