Written question asked by Bishop of Leeds (Bishops (affiliation)) on Monday, 7 July 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 July 2025. It was answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour) on Friday, 18 July 2025 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Estonia: Religious Freedom

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the proposed the Act on Amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act adopted by the Estonian Parliament on 18 June contravenes international standards and norms on the right to freedom of religion of belief, and whether they have made representations to the government of Estonia.

Answer: His Majesty's Government has made no formal assessment of the Estonian Government's amendments to the Churches and Congregations Act, which has not yet received Presidential approval. The UK is committed to promoting freedom of religion or belief for all and we work closely with international partners, including through the Article 18 Alliance, of which Estonia is a member, to champion freedom of religion or belief around the world. Estonia consistently scores highly on measures of freedom of religion or belief in public rankings, such as those of Freedom House. We have made no representations to the government of Estonia on the law under consideration.

Secondary information