To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons Colonel Karuna was released from UK custody; what assessment he has made of Colonel Karuna’s status as a member of the Sri Lanka parliament given the allegations of human rights abuses against him; and if he will make a statement. (227023)

Venamoorthi Muralitharan (aka Karuna Amman) was removed from the UK on 2 July, after completing a custodial sentence for possessing false documents. At the time, the Crown Prosecution Service advised that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction in the UK for other offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government’s policy is on Sri Lanka’s candidacy for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council; and if he will make a statement. (227026)

The UK expects every member of the UN Human Rights Council to act in accordance with the spirit of UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 in upholding the highest standards of human rights promotion and protection and co-operating fully with the Council.