Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free Trade Agreements: Freedom of Religion or Belief

Thursday 18 June 2020 · 1 question

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Rehman Chishti inquires about steps to ensure freedom of religion or belief is included in free trade agreement negotiations.
  • Greg Hands acknowledges Chishti's work as Prime Minister's special envoy on freedom of religion and belief.
  • Hands confirms the incorporation of the GSP plus scheme into a UK scheme, including key aspects.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rehman Chishti Con Weaverham
Foreign Affairs Religion & Faith
Context

The UK has a programme led by Rehman Chishti as the Prime Minister's special envoy on freedom of religion or belief, and there are concerns about religious minorities suffering under the pandemic.

Question

Rehman Chishti asks what steps the minister is taking to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is included in negotiations on free trade agreements. He references his previous work as a trade envoy covering Pakistan where human rights were part of the GSP plus trade clause and highlights concerns about religious minorities suffering under COVID-19.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Greg Hands

Greg Hands acknowledges the work Rehman Chishti has done as Prime Minister's special envoy on freedom of religion and belief. He mentions the endorsement of the Truro report's approach by the current Government and confirms that the GSP plus scheme will be incorporated into a UK scheme, including key human rights obligations such as freedom of religion and expression.

Answered
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