Supporting Freedom of Religion or Belief Abroad
1/22. What assessment the Church of England has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s policies on supporting freedom of religion or belief in other countries.
The Prime Minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief launched the Government’s new strategy on 8 July this year, and the Church welcomes that continuing commitment. Obviously it is too early to assess the effectiveness of the strategy, but the Church remains concerned about the global and local trends. The levels across countries are currently either high or very high, and Government restrictions on freedom of religion or belief are at their highest level since 2007.
Anglicans in Newcastle-under-Lyme will very much welcome the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury and will be praying for her—as the first woman in the role, she has made history. The United Kingdom has long worked to promote pluralist values across the globe, so I welcome the employment of my hon. Friend the Member for North Northumberland (David Smith), but there is more to do. Will the Second Church Estates Commissioner update the House on what conversations she and her colleagues have had with the Government on their efforts to emphasise the importance of supporting freedom of religion in their conversations with countries with which we are pursuing trade deals?
The Church is in regular dialogue with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and welcomes the Government’s continued commitment to implementing the findings of the Truro review. As part of its continuing conversations, the Church raises the importance of supporting freedom of religion with other countries, including those countries that the Government are pursuing trade deals with. I am sure my hon. Friend will recognise that I do not comment on Government policy as such.
I thank the Second Church Estates Commissioner very much for all that she does personally—I know that she is committed to making lives better personally and as the Second Church Estates Commissioner. What discussions has she had with organisations such as Open Doors UK in relation to furthering steps that can be taken to support Christians who are persecuted and have their human rights diminished and reduced every day as a result of their religious beliefs? I declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief.
I always welcome the contributions of the hon. Member in Church Commissioners questions, and he raises a really important point. As I said, the Church continues to have dialogue with the many different charities and non-governmental organisations working in this area. I am sure that he, like me, will mark the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church next month. As I have said, more can always be done in this area, but I thank him for his continued commitment.