§ Andy KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to encourage Saudi accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights. [173757]
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§ Mr. RammellWe continue to have wide-ranging concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia including aspects of the judicial system; corporal and capital punishment; restrictions on the freedoms of religion, expression and assembly; and discrimination against women and Non-Muslims.
The U K Government is committed to encouraging Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record. We discuss our concerns about human rights with the Saudi authorities at working, ambassadorial and ministerial level.
In bilateral discussions with Saudi Arabia we have not recently specifically discussed accession to the ICCPR or ICESCR.
§ Andy KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Saudi authorities regarding the rights of members of minority faiths in Saudi Arabia; [173758]
§ Mr. RammellWe continue to have wide-ranging concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia including aspects of the judicial system; corporal and capital punishment; restrictions on the freedoms of religion, expression and assembly; and discrimination against women and Non-Muslims. The UK Government is committed to encouraging Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record. We discuss our concerns about human rights with the Saudi authorities at working, ambassadorial and ministerial level.