Bishop of Winchester asks about safe refugee routes for religious minorities in Iran

On 8th July Bishop of Winchester asked a question on safe and legal routes for Iranian nationals seeking asylum, particularly religious minorities facing persecution:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, if I may broaden the scope of the Question, given that the recent conflict has not led to any evident improvement in the situation facing ordinary Iranians, what assessment have His Majesty’s Government made of the availability of safe and legal routes for Iranian nationals? I am thinking in particular of members of Iran’s persecuted and vulnerable religious minorities, including Christian converts, Bahá’ís, Sunni and Sufi Muslims.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about therapeutic support for victims of historical forced adoption

The Bishop of Winchester responded to a government statement giving an apology for historical forced adoption on 7th July 2026, echoing the sentiments expressed and enquiring about financial support to increase capacity for therapeutic services for victims:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, I welcome the Prime Minister’s apology last week and thank the Lord Privy Seal for reading it with such empathy and compassion. The House will be aware, I am sure, that last month, Archbishop Sarah issued an apology for the Church of England’s involvement in these practices, and specifically for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced—and still carried—by many people as a result. She said what the Prime Minister also said in his apology: “The shame is ours, not yours”. Today, I add my voice to the apology to all people who experienced loss or received poor care in homes affiliated to the Church of England, whether mothers or adoptees. We are deeply sorry.

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Bishop of Winchester asks abut safeguarding arts education

The Bishop of Winchester asked a question on the importance of safeguarding arts education at all levels during a discussion on the independent review of Arts Council England on 7th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, I hope noble Lords will indulge me if I associate all the Lords spiritual with the remarks that have been made about Lord Mackay of Clashfern. He was indeed a man of great Christian faith, generous heart and broad sympathies, and we all pay tribute to him. I may be the only Member of the House who played him once at water polo, and it was a delightful experience.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about renewable energy targets

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 7th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to incentivise collaboration between community energy organisations and local authorities in order to deliver renewable energy targets at a local level.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about plans to mark 75th Anniversary of the Refugee Convention

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 7th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to mark the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention.

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Armed Forces Bill: Bishop of Norwich speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Norwich spoke at the second reading of the Armed Forces Bill on 6th July 2026, detailing the importance of the armed forces covenant to supporting communities and the military:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: I thank the Minister and his officials for their work on this Bill. It is a privilege to follow the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, and I look forward to hearing further contributions from noble and gallant Lords with their wealth of experience. When I read in Hansard the record of the Second Reading debate on this Bill’s predecessor five years ago, I could not help but notice that the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, will simply be swapping places when they come to sum up this debate. In my remarks, I will focus on three areas: first, the Armed Forces covenant; secondly, the whole-society approach to civil preparedness; and thirdly, some niche comments related to the service police powers.

“Covenant” is an ancient word with deep resonances in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. It is about gifts offered and received, about commitments made and honoured, lived in mutual reciprocity. When we ask much of our Armed Forces—and, God forbid, we might need to ask more of them and their families in the years to come—pledging a commitment to what they can expect in return for all that they give and, for veterans, have given, is the mark of a grateful society.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about implementation of international marine protected area

The Bishop of Manchester tabled a question on the establishment of an international marine protected area in the Sargasso Sea under the Global Ocean Treaty on 6ht July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support the establishment of an international marine protected area in the Sargasso Sea under the Global Ocean Treaty.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about illegal purchase of property in the West Bank

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on the need to actively work to prevent illegal purchase of property in the West Bank through the UK banking system on 6th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, the Minister referred to the advice that the Government published following the Statement on 9 June warning of the dubious legality of the purchase of property in the West Bank. Will she acknowledge that those most likely to do so are unlikely to heed such advice? Will she ensure that HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority act to inhibit the unlawful use of funds in this way through the UK banking system?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about humanitarian aid to Iranian citizens

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 6th July 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what level of humanitarian assistance they are providing to civilians in need of aid in Iran as a consequence of the war in that country; and which delivery partners they are working with.
  • what types of humanitarian assistance they are providing to civilians in Iran requiring aid.
  • what plans they have, if any, for increasing humanitarian assistance to civilians in Iran who are marginalised by the Iranian regime.
  • how much aid they are providing to (1) Iran, and (2) other countries in the region, on an absolute and per capita basis.
  • what assessment they have made of the expulsion of Afghan refugees from Iran since the start of the recent conflict; and whether they intend to increase humanitarian assistance as a result.
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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Genocide

On 3rd July 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:

Genocide

Adam Jogee MP (Lab, Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to help support victims of genocide.

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