foreign affairs – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Albans asks about recent executions in Saudi Arabia

The Bishop of St Albans asked about the government response to human rights issues in Saudi Arabia on 16th March 2023, following a Commons Urgent Question on the execution of Hussein Abo al-Kheir and other recent executions in the country:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the whole House acknowledges the contribution the Minister makes in this important area, but there are real concerns as to whether His Majesty’s Government are as intent on addressing these issues. Saudi is part of the Arab Charter on Human Rights 2004, but the problem is enforcement. Even the statute brought in 2014 does not enable enforcement. What representations are His Majesty’s Government making to the wider Arab world to work with colleagues to nudge Saudi in a new direction and stop this extraordinary range of executions, which do not seem to be abating at all?

Bishop of Southwark asks about recent statements regarding the Palestinian village of Hawara by Israeli finance minister

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 16th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the statement by Israel’s Minister of Finance, Mr Bezalel Smotrich, on 1 March, that the Palestinian village of Hawara “should be wiped out”.

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church Repairs & Maitenance, Rural Areas, and Vandalism of Cemeteries in Jerusalem

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs on 10th March 2023:

Jerome Mayhew MP (Con): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of local authority grant funding available to parish churches to upgrade their facilities.

Andrew Selous MP (Con): It is the view of the National Church Institutions that Local Authority and Parish Council grant funding is not being made available to parish churches on a consistent basis, due to a lack of clarity in interpretation of existing law, specifically the Local Government Acts 1894, 1972 and the Localism Act 2011.

Bishop of London asks about support for health professionals in Myanmar and the Burmese diaspora

The Bishop of London asked a question on increasing FCDO funding for healthcare efforts in Myanmar on Tuesday 7th March 2023, during a debate on support for those caring for patients outside of government controlled areas in that country:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the Burmese diaspora are working closely with NHS colleagues in delivering clinical education and training. Their time and expertise are gifted free of charge and supported by modest FCDO funds, which allow organisations such as the Tropical Health and Education Trust to organise and structure this support in a professional way. Could the Minister comment on whether he sees any scope for increasing those funds for UK health communities in their response to Myanmar?

Bishop of Southwark asks about closure of UN Human Rights Commissioners’ Office in Uganda

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 7th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what discussions they will have with the government of Uganda about its decision to close the offices of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights in that country in August 2023.

Bishop of Coventry asks about potential resolution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabkh

The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answer on 6th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the former’s proposals of 16 February for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Bishop of Southwark asks about recent explosion in Beirut, Lebanon

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 2nd March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will ask the UN Human Rights Council to undertake a fact-finding mission concerning the blast at the Port of Beirut on 4 August 2020.

British Iranian Relations: Bishop of St Albans stresses importance of media and need to support those demonstrating in Iran

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on British-Iranian relations on 23rd February 2023, emphasising the importance of holding the Iranian regime to account, and the critical role played by media services such as BBC Persian:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for obtaining this debate, for his superb introductory talk and not least for his powerful call that we should oppose the persecution of Baha’is and Christians. I will raise just two issues in the few moments I have.

First, as we conduct British-Iranian relations, it is vital that we support loudly and clearly those who are demonstrating for their freedoms, in particular those who face the most opposition: the young and the women who are being opposed by their own Government. They are rightly demonstrating for freedom of speech and for their rights to an education and a job.

It is difficult to know exactly how many people have been caught up in the demonstrations although it is widely reported that, so far, between 600 and 800 protesters have been killed, more than 30,000 have been arrested and more than 40 have been executed. Those are probably very modest figures. I echo the question to the Minister from the noble Lord, Lord Alton: what attempts are being made to record the regime’s crimes so that they can be taken to the UN Security Council? What representations have His Majesty’s Government made to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran? Does the Minister agree that Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi should be held to account?

Bishop of St Albans asks about government response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Somalia

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 31st January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Somalia regarding their involvement in China’s Belt and Road initiative.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con): China is a significant partner for many countries, including through the Belt and Road Initiative. The Somali Government pursues its international trading, development and political relations as it chooses. The UK’s focus is on working closely with the Somali Government to support its ambitious programme for a more stable and peaceful Somalia. This includes the provision of humanitarian relief and crucial support for the fight against Al-Shabaab.

Hansard

Bishop of Southwark asks about religious freedom in Israel

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 26th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representation they have made to the government of Israel to safeguard and protect religious minorities in that country following the desecration of graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion, Jerusalem.

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