human rights – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Leeds leads debate on the humanitarian situation in Sudan

On 27th November 2025, the Bishop of Leeds tabled a question for short debate on the humanitarian situation in Sudan:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

My Lords, I am very grateful to the Government for granting this debate at a very opportune time, with Lady Sandwich in the Gallery and a detailed report, Rivers of Blood, dedicated to the late Lord Sandwich, being delivered this morning to the APPG.

I thank the Minister for her commitment to addressing the urgent and long-term situation in Sudan, a country I love, where I have friends and which I have visited a number of times, most recently in June 2024. My concerns and engagement will continue after I retire from the House this afternoon, albeit in a different way. I note that the Order Paper says this is a valedictory speech, but I would be grateful if we kept our focus on Sudan.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is so dire that “urgent” does not do justice to the need for action. I will not repeat the many reports from agencies engaged on the ground in Sudan, but they make for harrowing hearing and reading. A number have provided briefings in Parliament in the last few days. We had planned for the Archbishop of Sudan, Ezekiel Kondo, to be here today, but he had to return to Port Sudan a couple of days ago.

Bishop of Manchester asks about new EHRC Chair

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the appointment of a new chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 5th November 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: Like many, I am grateful that the interim advice that was issued and caused such widespread alarm was withdrawn, albeit belatedly. As the Minister has just said, we need to get this right rather than done quick. With that in mind, can the Minister assure us that the forthcoming appointment of the new chair of the EHRC will be taken as an opportunity to reset an organisation that has, of late, lost the confidence of many?

Bishop of Oxford speaks in debate on report on the crimes of Daesh (ISIL)

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in a debate on a report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the crimes of Daesh on 10th September 2025, highlighting the ongoing issue of British citizens who were members of Daesh and the need to bring them to justice, and noting the need to care for the number of children detained with their parents who had been Daesh members:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the Joint Committee on Human Rights on its detailed and courageous report, and the noble Lord, Lord Alton, on bringing this debate. With others, I am sorry that he cannot be with us today. I, too, received the graphic photographs of his serious injuries.

Bishop of St Albans speaks on theological background for human rights law

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate marking the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights on 20th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for bringing this debate and for his speech. I am not going to explore the legal implications, but want to make a few theological points, if I may. I want to comment on the origins of the spring from which these ideas first came, how it developed into a stream and then a river, and how still today our understanding of rights and responsibilities is developing.

The noble Lord, Lord Lilley, is right. It goes back to those early chapters of Genesis. In fact, you could go back to the Code of Hammurabi, 1,700 years before Christ, but let us go back to the Ten Commandments, where we find the creation narratives where humankind is created in God’s image. It is about the inherent dignity that belongs to each and every person, not dependent on sex, wealth, education or any other differentiation. This is implied in the Ten Commandments and is developed further in passages such as Deuteronomy 10, where God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the stranger in the land. It is why the prophet Isaiah urges the people of God to seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless and plead for the widow.

Bishop of Leeds asks about human rights in Iraq

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answers on 10th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government whether they provide assistance to parliamentarians visiting Iraqi Kurdistan.

Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab, FCDO): The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can support parliamentarians’ visits overseas that support parliamentary business and the UK’s objectives. An appropriate level of assistance from the FCDO is dependent on resource implications and capacity issues of individual missions, including the British Consulate General in Erbil.

Bishop of St Albans speaks in debate on British citizens held by Iranian regime

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in the Bishop of Chelmsford’s debate on British citizens currently being held by the Iranian regime, urging that the UK act to support those detained and stand up for human rights overseas:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank my right reverend friend the Bishop of Chelmsford for tabling this debate and for the sensitive way in which she has introduced it. I add to hers my best wishes and prayers for the Foremans, their family and friends, and my thanks to the Minister and all those officials who are working so hard behind the scenes in the FCDO. I also extend my thanks to the ambassador in Tehran and to all those working at the embassy there. I am sure they are doing all they can to resolve this desperately sad situation.

Bishop of Winchester speaks in debate on human rights in China

The Bishop of Winchester spoke in a debate on human rights in China on 19th December 2024, empathising the importance of a religiously and culturally informed approach towards China:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: I am very grateful to my friend, the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, for securing this vital and urgent debate. I congratulate him on his election as chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights. There is no one better qualified to fulfil that role.

If we are to understand China from the perspective of human rights, security or trade, or indeed from any other perspective, we must see the country in its own terms and as it sees itself rather than simply through western lenses. To understand China as she understands herself, it will not do to look at her in terms of Marxism or indeed Maoism. If once it was said of the Labour Party that it was more Methodist than Marxist, it can be fairly said of the Chinese Communist Party that it is at least as Confucianist as it is communist. At the heart of China’s concept of itself lies the concept of tianxia, a word that means “all under heaven”—and that I almost certainly mispronounce. Even in those three words, you can grasp a sense of its import. It is an ancient concept, dating at least to the start of the first millennium BC, describing a system of relations across Asia, with China as the centre of the civilised world and the apex of culture, the heart of a sage empire, spreading material benefits and wisdom to all mankind—a geopolitical system with China at the centre and the Emperor at the centre of the centre.

Bishop of Winchester asks abut freedom of religion in Syria

The Bishop of Winchester asked a question on Freedom of Religion and Belief in Syria on 19th December 2024, following a government statement on the recent regime change in the country:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: I am very grateful to the Minister for repeating the Statement. I particularly welcome what he said about the appointment of a Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and what he said about north-east Syria. Forgive me for returning to that subject, given the reassurances he has given, but the semi-autonomous region of north-east Syria is an oasis of plurality in the region, where freedom of religion or belief is respected and women take a leading role in governance. It provides an exemplar for the whole region, yet it is under significant pressure from repressive forces supported by our NATO ally, Turkey. I believe that this is an asymmetric aggression, so can the Minister please assure the House that the UK will continue, along with other NATO allies, to bring pressure to bear on Turkey to desist from its destabilising activities in the region?

Bishop of St Albans asks about human rights in China

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on human rights issues in Xinjiang, China on 17th December 2024, following a government statement on issues relating to UK national security and the Chinese state:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, we are all aware how complicated it is trying both to maintain our defence and security and to continue to trade. At the same time, there are some profound human rights issues going on. Reports have just emerged that the Chinese Government have demolished an important centre—the Rebiya Kadeer Trade Center—in Urumqi, Xinjiang. What representations have His Majesty’s Government made to support the people there, whom the other place has claimed have been subject to genocide?

Bishop of St Albans asks about calls to refer events in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of calls by Amnesty International on 24 October for the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: