On 5th January 2026, the House of Lords debated the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 5th January 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, following the arrest of an archbishop in Armenia on 4 December, what assessment they have made of religious freedom in that country, and what discussions they have had with the government of Armenia about that issue.
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The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 5th January 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on countering ongoing and future effects of the forcible removal of Ukrainian children from their homes and country by Russia on 24th November 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, will the Minister respond to two questions? First, on the real impact of sanctions, they do not seem to have diminished in any way Russia’s ability or intention to pursue this war of attrition and the cruelties that have already been mentioned, particularly in relation to children. Secondly, as someone who was a Soviet military specialist in a previous career, I can say that their aim is not to punish children but to wipe out a generation’s memory and retell a story. The effects of that, even if children are brought back at the end of this war, are going to go on for a generation. Have the Government given any consideration to how the rules-based international order can be effectively used to counter this and prepare for that longer term future?
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The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on the important role of the BBC in providing trusted information through the BBC World Service Programme on 12th November 2025, during a discussion on recent changes in leadership at the BBC:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I have just returned from a visit to a country in west Africa that I know very well, and which has sadly suffered a number of coups in recent years. However, I can testify first-hand that the role of the BBC in such situations is highly regarded. In a situation where people do not know where to turn to find out what is happening around them, and where there are huge amounts of fear and anxiety, it is to the BBC that they turn to find out what is happening. I believe that remains true today, even in the face of mistakes that have been made. Can the Minister reassure us that the BBC will continue to have the people and resources needed to play this vital role internationally?
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The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on tackling the root causes of conflicts in Africa and the Middle East on 1st September 2025, following a government statement on the situation in Gaza:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I totally endorse what has been said about Sudan. I was there a year ago and am in almost weekly contact with people there at the moment. But I am slightly worried about the terms in which we debate some of these matters, such as Gaza and Ukraine. The crisis in Ukraine did not begin on 24 February 2023; the crisis in Gaza and the Middle East did not begin on 7 October 2023. Our attempts to simplify the conflict, perhaps for conceptual reasons, do not always help us. It is immensely complex, it goes back a long way and 7 October cannot be the justification for everything that follows. Does the Minister agree?
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The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 18th July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 16th July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of arrests made in the Republic of Armenia of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan; and the impact the arrests may have on freedom of religion in Armenia.
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The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 14th July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what recent representations they have made to the government of India regarding the forced deportation of Rohingya refugees.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about forced deportations of Rohingya refugees from India”The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on addressing the risk of future terrorism as a result of the trauma of the current conflict in the Middle-East on 24th June 2025, following a government statement on the Israel-Iran conflict:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I am grateful for the Statement and the commitments the Government are making, but history teaches us that you cannot bomb an idea or a resentment out of existence. Going back to the comments made by the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, about the difference between strategy and tactics, what scenario planning are the Government doing to address the next three or four generations of terrorists who are being born amid the traumas of the current violence?
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