The Government has restated its commitment to defending freedom of religion and belief around the globe. Christian MP Jim Shannon used a parliamentary debate to ask Foreign Office Minister Nigel Adams MP how the Government was implementing the recommendations of the Truro report. Published last year, the report found that the persecution of Christians is so extreme it amounts to genocide in some parts of the world. It called on the Government to sanction countries that persecute Christians and introduce mandatory religious literacy training for Foreign Office staff. During the debate, Peter Grant MP said: “There can be no let-up in international efforts to safeguard freedom of religion and to prevent the persecution of religious minorities anywhere”. Fabian Hamilton MP pointed out that 260 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution for their beliefs in 2020, 15 million more than last year.