The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the possibility of increasing overseas aid to mitigate harm to minority and disenfranchised communities in the Middle East, following a government statement on the economic response to the war in Iran on 1st June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as this debate has continued, I have become increasingly concerned that the phrase “Middle East” in the title is referring to somewhere between Nottinghamshire in the north and Northamptonshire in the south. The Middle East to me is a series of countries where war is currently raging and people are suffering incredible consequences—I am thinking, for example, of Afghan refugees in Iran, who are one of the most vulnerable groups there, and many other Iranian citizens, and thinking of some of the Palestinians in the West Bank. Is this not the time, as well as looking after our own people, for the Government and Treasury to think about increasing our overseas aid to mitigate some of the severe harm that is being done to some minority communities or oppressed communities in different parts of the Middle East?
Lord Livermore (Lab, Treasury): I am grateful to the right reverend Prelate. As he will know, the Government set out their plans for the aid budget in the last spending review. He is absolutely right that the conflict in the Middle East poses very significant challenges to the world economy and to many of the people in the region and beyond. We do not yet know what the full impact of the conflict will be; that will depend on its severity and duration. Likewise, the Government have been very clear that this war is a mistake that will bring significant extra costs to bear, not only on the British people but on people right around the world, as the right reverend Prelate said.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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