§ Mr. WallaceTo aks the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken 11W during the last three months to monitor allegations of human rights violations in Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement. [12862]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonOur Embassy in Almaty constantly monitors the human rights situation in Kazakhstan. We take up specific cases with the Kazakh authorities when necessary.
Our main concerns revolve around prison conditions and the high rate of capital punishment. In an effort to improve this situation, the UK has offered to support a proposal put forward by the United Nations Development Programme to help reform the penal system in Kazakhstan. We will continue to keep this under close review.