Author: parliamentaryunit

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Christianity in Palestine, Child Protection, Poverty

On 16th October 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioners, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Christianity: Palestine

Richard Baker MP (Lab, Glenrothes and Mid Fife): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what support the Church of England is providing to Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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Church Commissioners Questions: Persecuted Christians, Supporting Freedom of Religion and Belief Abroad, Small Churches in Rural Constituencies, Community Relations, Archbishop of Canterbury

In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

Persecuted Christians

Brian Mathew MP (LD, Melksham and Devizes) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England supports efforts to defend international religious freedoms for Christians or whichever religious group faces persecution. The Church has created parliamentary caucuses involving religious leaders in east and west Africa, and in south-east Asia to support legislation to protect religious freedoms.

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Bishop of Lichfield asks about interfaith work in government following attack on Manchester synagogue

On 15th October 2025, the The Bishop of Lichfield asked a question on interfaith work in government following a statement on the recent attack on a synagogue in Manchester:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: My Lords, my prayers are with the victims, their families and all our Jewish communities following this appalling attack. It is shocking that the ancient evil of antisemitism is currently resurgent in our society. We must remain vigilant against it and all forms of religious hatred. No one in this country should ever feel unsafe because of their faith, and particularly not unsafe in their place of worship.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about support for unpaid carers

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the balance between state offerings and charitable support during a discussion on unpaid carers on 15th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, many of the children and other young carers, referred to in a previous question, depend on charities. Are the Government content that the balance is right between what the state offers and charitable support?

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about application routes for refugee families

The Bishop of Sheffield tabled a question on the Refugee Family Reunion Scheme, asking what the timeline would be for introducing a new application route for families on 14th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty’s Government, following the temporary suspension of new applications to a refugee family reunion scheme, what is the timeline for introducing a new route.

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Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Bishop of Leicester supports amendments on protecting family life for migrants

On 13th October 2025, the Bishop of Sheffield spoke in support of three amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on support for family life and for refugee children separated from their parents:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I will speak in support of three amendments in this group, one to which I have put my name and two to which the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford has put hers; as we have heard, she regrets that she cannot be in her place today. I refer to Amendment 177 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, Amendment 178 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and Amendment 203K in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister.

It is not just the Christian Church that regards the family as more than a merely biological unit; it is the fundamental God-given building block of community life and the source of belonging and stability for children. The former Home Secretary recognised this when she wrote in 2020:

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Bishop of Leeds asks about Chinese espionage in the UK

On 13th October 2025, the Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the history of espionage conducted by China in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, can the Minister confirm that spying by the Chinese is not a new phenomenon but has been conducted under previous Governments as well?

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about evidence given to Home Affairs Select Committee on immigration and the church

The Bishop of Sheffield raised a question regarding evidence presented by the Bishop of Chelmsford at the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2024, during a discussion on religious conversion as a basis for asylum claims on 13th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I declare an interest as patron of the ASSIST charity in Sheffield, which seeks to support refugees and asylum seekers. Is the Minister aware that the evidence provided by the former Anglican cleric just referenced was refuted by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford in extensive oral evidence on the subject at a Home Affairs Select Committee meeting in the other place last year?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about online immigration systems

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 13th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 12 February (HL4531), whether the management information related to the “no recourse to public funds” condition is not available on the Atlas system for each leave to remain record.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about regional transport and healthcare infrastructure

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answers on 13th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the safety, security, and resilience of national and regional transport infrastructure, with particular reference to South Yorkshire.

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