The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 6th June 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by Reporters Without Borders that there have been more than 140 instances of violence by Israeli security forces against journalists in Friday protests since March 2018.
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The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 26th May 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security pact between the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands.
Continue reading “Bishop of Exeter asks about China and the Pacific Ocean Islands”The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 26th May 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the UK’s naval capability in supporting British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories in the South Pacific.
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The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd May 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to UNESCO and the government of Azerbaijan to allow a UNESCO mission unimpeded access to document Armenian and Azerbaijan heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh as part of a reconciliation measures.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about UNESCO access in Azerbaijan”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 25th April 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to support the Ukrainian agricultural sector to export wheat.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about wheat in Ukraine”On 30th March 2022 the Bishop of Worcester asked a question in support of returning ancient sacred tabots held in the British Museum to Ethiopia.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, apart from the way in which these artefacts were obtained, and the responsibility of the British Museum and its independence, I wonder whether the Minister would agree that what sets these artefacts apart, as he has intimated, from any others in the British Museum and other museums across our land, is that they are sacred. As such, they relate to a living faith—the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Whereas these tabots mean very little to anyone here except as stones of limited historical value, and no one is able to see them anyway, they are of profound religious significance in Ethiopia. Would not the Minister agree that they should therefore be returned to those who understand them to be holy and will cherish them as such?
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The following written question was replied to on 30th March 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Hong Kong following reports of threats and intimidation of Benedict Rogers, a UK citizen and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch. [HL7070]
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about treatment of Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 24th March 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 March (HL6312), what attempts they have made to document the destruction of Armenian historical sites in Azerbaijan.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): The protection of cultural heritage affected by conflict and the prevention of acts of destruction are priorities for the UK. We are aware of allegations from both Armenia and Azerbaijan that cultural and religious sites have been deliberately damaged over the course of the conflict. Following the 2020 war, the UK has engaged with the Governments of both Armenia and Azerbaijan on this matter. UNESCO are the body best placed to look into this issue and we call on all sides to reach an agreement to enable UNESCO to visit the region soon.
Following an update on the unfolding situation in Ukraine on 22nd February 2022, the Bishop of Coventry asked a question on combining diplomacy with sanctions:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, these are dark days indeed for Europe, but unlike the noble Lord, Lord Newby, I welcome the commitment in the Statement to unrelenting diplomacy. Does the Leader agree that the stronger the sanctions, the better placed that diplomatic work will be? Is there a particular contribution that Britain can make in the diplomatic engagement even now?
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On 22nd February 2022, Lord Alton of Liverpool asked a question on human rights and political prisoners in Hong Kong, on behalf of the Bishop of St Albans:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Hong Kong about the (1) human rights, and (2) release, of pro- democracy political prisoners remanded in custody under that Government’s national security law.
Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB): My Lords, on behalf of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans, and with his permission, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper. In so doing, I declare my interests both as a patron of Hong Kong Watch and as vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong.
The Earl of Courtown (Con): My Lords, the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have used the national security law to target pro-democracy figures, curtail freedoms and shrink the space for opposition, a free press and civil society. The UK continues to raise its concerns directly with Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. We continue to urge Beijing to uphold its international obligations, including the rights and freedoms protected in the joint declaration.
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