Ukraine – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Chichester stresses importance of reconstruction in Ukraine

On 21st November 2024, the Bishop of Chichester spoke in a debate on a report from the European Affairs Committee – The Ukraine Effect: The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the UK-EU relationship, focusing on the importance of reconstruction and the place of the church in Ukraine:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, it is a privilege not only to speak in this debate, which touches on a matter of such great importance, but to be reminded, in the valedictory speech of the noble Lord, Lord Levene, of what a resource of wise experience and courtesy exists in this House.

I am very grateful for the work of the European Affairs Committee in its report, and to the noble Lord, Lord Ricketts, for this debate. I am glad to follow the noble Lord, Lord Banner, and the positive statements he made about reconstruction. It is on that subject that I will focus my contribution. Reconstruction must look at economy, buildings, infrastructure and the fabric of society, but I hope it will also look at something distinctive about Ukraine, which is the place of the church. In talking about people and not parliamentarians, the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, already reminded us of that. The noble Baroness, Lady Nicholson, made similar comments about the neighbours of Ukraine who have given assistance. In large part, monasteries and nunneries will also be an extension of the familiarity of a Christian tradition that is so important in Ukraine.

Bishop of Leicester encourages government to support interculturalism and welcome refugees, as demonstrated by the Ukraine scheme

On 25th October 2024, the Bishop of Leicester took part in a debate on the situation in Ukraine, promoting the use of the Ukraine scheme as a model to foster a sustainable way of welcoming all refugees and compassionately supporting their integration in the wider community:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, it is a sad truth that as wars go on, public attention often dissipates. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and other noble Lords for reminding us that while coverage of the war in Ukraine has waned, daily suffering there has not, so our moral responsibility continues.

While others have focused on this responsibility in terms of military support, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on another very important and positive aspect of our response to the war, in the hope that the new Government will build on its successes. As noble Lords will be aware, the Ukraine family scheme and the Ukraine sponsorship scheme, set up in March 2022, were two of the only legal routes for people seeking asylum in the UK. More than 200,000 visas were issued to Ukrainians, and thousands of families from across the political spectrum offered their homes to those fleeing the war.

Bishop of Leeds asks about UK military support for Ukraine

The Bishop of Leeds tabled a question on government plans to intensify military support for Ukraine on 12th September 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to accelerate and intensify military support for Ukraine.

Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab, FCDO): My Lords, UK support for Ukraine is ironclad, and that is why we are stepping up military aid to Ukraine. We are ramping up and speeding up delivery of military support for Ukraine. On Friday, the Defence Secretary announced that the UK would provide Ukraine with 650 lightweight multi-role missiles. Operation Interflex, which has trained 45,000 Ukrainian troops, will extend through 2025. Additionally, yesterday he confirmed that military support announced in April is on track for delivery.

Bishop of St Albans asks about foreign powers involvement in conflict in Sudan

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 18th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the United Arab Emirates on the seizing of two ports the Sudanese Red Sea coast through proxy forces, and that they have plans to build a third port.

Bishop of Leeds asks about support for Russian anti-war organisations in the UK

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on government efforts to help coordinate Russian anti-war organisations based in the UK, following a government statement on the conflict in Ukraine on 28th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I am grateful for what the Minister has said. It is understandable that the murder of Alexei Navalny is commanding the headlines, but there are other opposition leaders, a number of whom are in prison and possibly facing the same fate as Navalny.

Bishop of Newcastle speaks in debate on conflict in Ukraine

The Bishop of Newcastle took part in a debate on the current conflict in Ukraine on 26th January 2024, asking about the government’s planning for future conflict scenarios:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, it is very good to be able to participate in this debate. I acknowledge the collective wisdom in this Chamber and the contributions of noble Lords in the preceding speeches. I pay particular tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Camoys, and congratulate him on his most excellent maiden speech, especially his reminder to look up and look out. I also thank the Minister for bringing this debate today.

This is not the time for platitudes and what could be construed as naive statements about hope. Evil and indeed illegal acts that lead to immense suffering demand decisive response. We know also that there is potential for and actual massive cultural damage in conflict, including the destruction of religious sites and a clamping down on the freedom of religion and belief. These and other matters in the Ukraine war require continued engagement and response. Ukraine depends entirely on money and weaponry from the West and our support in this is vital.

Bishop of St Albans asks about contingency plans for grain shipments from Ukraine

On 28th November 2023, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on contingency plans for grain shipping following an update on the conflict in Ukraine:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I was interested to hear the reference to the insurance for shipping. We are all aware, I think, of the vital importance of getting the grain out of Ukraine, both to support the Ukrainian economy and because it is making such a difference in feeding many parts of the world. Can the Minister tell us whether other contingency plans are being made in case shipping lanes get blocked again, and not least whether there other ways of getting grain out of Ukraine while we have the time to make those preparations?

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about Homes for Ukraine scheme

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 26th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the National Audit Office’s report Investigation into the Homes for Ukraine scheme, published on 17 October, what steps they are taking to improve and expand data on homelessness among Ukrainian refugees who have been part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, given that local authority data returns on scheme homelessness are voluntary.

Bishop of Chichester speaks in debate on ongoing conflict in Ukraine

The Bishop of Chichester spoke in a debate on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on 21st September 2023, raising the importance of religious freedom and the social role played by cultural and religious institutions during times of conflict:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, for introducing this debate and for the time that it gives us to rehearse the serious moral issues confronting us as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Following the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, I echo my appreciation for the stirring comments from the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup, reminding us with great clarity of the issue of war crimes in this conflict, and the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, for reminding us how high the moral stakes are for us all.

I wish to place on record the importance of the ecclesial and religious dimensions of the political and military conflict in Ukraine, and the historic importance that religion has for the people of that land as the gateway of Christianity in the Orthodox tradition for this whole stretch of northern Europe, from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Bishop of Leeds asks about effects of sanctions on Russia

On 11th September 2023, Bishop of Leeds tabled a question on the effectiveness of sanctions placed upon Russia following their invasion of Ukraine:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of sanctions against Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): My Lords, sanctions by the United Kingdom and its international partners have starved Russia of key western goods and technology, degrading Russia’s military and restricting its capacity to fight a 21st-century war. UK exports of machinery and transport equipment have decreased by 98%. Sanctions also limit Russia’s financial resources. The UK has sanctioned 29 Russian banks, accounting for over 90% of the Russian banking sector. We have also frozen over £18 billion-worth of Russian assets in the UK. Without sanctions, we estimate that Russia would have over $400 billion more to fund its war machine.

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