Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Qatar World Cup: LGBTQ+ Fans

Tuesday 8 November 2022 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministers and senior officials have raised concerns about LGBT+ visitors with Qatari authorities.
  • The UK prioritises the safety of all British nationals travelling to the World cup.
  • The UK government respects and works with campaigners on LGBT+ rights issues internationally.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP raises concerns about the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, citing previous criticisms regarding human rights issues.

Question

What assessment has his Department made of the safety of LGBTQ+ football fans attending the World cup in Qatar?

Answer from David Rutley

Ministers and senior officials have raised the concerns of LGBT+ visitors with Qatari authorities at all levels, and will continue to engage on this issue ahead of, and during, the World cup. Qatar has repeatedly committed that everybody is welcome to the tournament, and we will continue to encourage equal treatment and the respect of individual rights, and to identify what action the Qatari authorities are taking to match their commitment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific safety concerns for LGBTQ+ individuals were not directly assessed or addressed with concrete details.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Women & Equalities
Context

The MP expresses personal concerns about the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals attending the World Cup in Qatar and questions the Foreign Secretary's remarks on LGBT rights.

Question

Will the Minister back the home nations captains in wearing a rainbow armband when they play at the World cup? Will he also apologise for the Foreign Secretary's remark that LGBT fans should somehow show compromise?

Answer from David Rutley

I respect the hon. Gentleman's comments. He and I have worked together on many issues in the past, and I understand his campaign on this issue. Our priority is, of course, the safety of all British nationals who travel to the World cup. The UK prioritises the issue of LGBT+ rights internationally, and we continue to engage with the Qatari authorities on this issue. Many sportsmen and women use their platforms to do important work across a range of issues, which is their personal choice. The UK Government stand by our values, and our team stands by the values of our home nations.

Not addressed: The specific requests for support and apology were not addressed directly; instead, general statements about safety and government values were provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)