Tim Farron – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2015-01-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Russian government about (a) human rights in general and (b) LGBT rights in that country.

Mr David Lidington

(a) We remain deeply concerned about deteriorating human rights in Russia and regularly make this clear in bilateral interactions at all levels. I discussed human rights with the Russian Ambassador in London at our last meeting on 18 December. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable and noble friend Baroness Anelay, discussed human rights with the Russian Ambassador on 25 November. The British Embassy in Moscow regularly raises our concerns about human rights with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most recently with Foreign Minister Lavrov on 13 January.

(b) We have raised concerns about LGBT rights in Russia bilaterally at a number of levels since the law banning the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relations among minors was passed in June 2013. I raised concerns about the protection of LGBT people in Russia with the Russian Ambassador at our last meeting on 18 December. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials also discussed the safety of participants at LGBT events with the Russian authorities in November, and they regularly meet with LGBT activists and attend LGBT events to provide support.