I refer the Right Reverend Prelate to the answer provided on 29 June in response to Question HL1145.

I refer the Noble Bishop to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 24 June in response to Questions 10663-64, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

The UK is monitoring the situation in Silwan closely, including the reported seizure of land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church. The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for all, and that is particularly important in a city which holds such significance for the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is vital that the historic holy sites where each religious community worships are treated with respect and dignity, and that the traditional arrangements enabling each group to practice their faith are upheld, including the Jerusalem Status Quo.

More generally, we know that the demolition of Palestinian property and the eviction of their residents by Israeli authorities is causing unnecessary suffering to communities throughout Palestine. We also condemn the seizure of land by extremist settler groups and their acts of brutal violence, and - as set out by the Foreign Secretary in her statement to the House on 9 June - the UK will continue to do everything possible to advance the two-state solution and hold violent extremist settler groups to account, including through our sanctions regime.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answers provided on 23 June and 24 June in response to Questions 10663 and 10665.

The UK is monitoring the situation in Silwan closely, including the reported seizure of land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church. The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for all, and that is particularly important in a city which holds such significance for the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is vital that the historic holy sites where each religious community worships are treated with respect and dignity, and that the traditional arrangements enabling each group to practice their faith are upheld, including the Jerusalem Status Quo.

More generally, we know that the demolition of Palestinian property and the eviction of their residents by Israeli authorities is causing unnecessary suffering to communities throughout Palestine. We also condemn the seizure of land by extremist settler groups and their acts of brutal violence, and - as set out by the Foreign Secretary in her statement to the House on 9 June - the UK will continue to do everything possible to advance the two-state solution and hold violent extremist settler groups to account, including through our sanctions regime.

The UK is monitoring the situation in Silwan closely, including the reported seizure of land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church. The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for all, and that is particularly important in a city which holds such significance for the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is vital that the historic holy sites where each religious community worships are treated with respect and dignity, and that the traditional arrangements enabling each group to practice their faith are upheld, including the Jerusalem Status Quo.

More generally, we know that the demolition of Palestinian property and the eviction of their residents by Israeli authorities is causing unnecessary suffering to communities throughout Palestine. We also condemn the seizure of land by extremist settler groups and their acts of brutal violence, and - as set out by the Foreign Secretary in her statement to the House on 9 June - the UK will continue to do everything possible to advance the two-state solution and hold violent extremist settler groups to account, including through our sanctions regime.

The UK Government has seen no evidence that suggests the Estonian Government is seeking to limit the practice of religious freedom. Instead, the revised wording of the proposed legal amendment aims to prevent hostile influence from reaching congregation members through the administrative ties of a religious organisation. We have therefore had no ministerial communication with the Government of Estonia on the subject. The UK is committed to promoting the freedom of religious 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 religious belief around the world.

I am not aware of any plans by Estonia's government to ban the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The revised wording of Estonia's proposed Churches and Congregations Act Amendment simply states that religious organisations must not have links to religious organisations or leaders abroad that threaten the national security of Estonia; it does not give the Estonian government the power to ban religious organisations. The Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Estonians on the matter. The UK is committed to promoting the freedom of religious 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 religious belief around the world.

I am not aware of any plans by Estonia's government to ban the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church. The revised wording of Estonia's proposed Churches and Congregations Act Amendment simply states that religious organisations must not have links to religious organisations or leaders abroad that threaten the national security of Estonia; it does not give the Estonian government the power to ban religious organisations. The Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the Estonians on the matter. The UK is committed to promoting the freedom of religious 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 religious belief around the world.

We are deeply disturbed by the impact of Russia's illegal war on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Ukraine. This includes widespread destruction of religious sites, and the imposition of restrictive Russian laws in the temporarily controlled territories. The UK is carefully tracking the development of the draft law on religious organisations. The British Embassy in Kyiv continues to actively engage with Ukrainian religious organisations and representatives on the issue. We welcome the Ukrainian Government's assurances that the law is not aimed at restricting FoRB, and their ongoing consultation with religious communities in Ukraine on the terms of the law.

The UK Government does not speculate on specific future sanctions, as to do so could reduce their impact. The UK will continue to hold those who support Putin's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine to account. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK has sanctioned over 1,200 individuals, including Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ met online earlier in the year, and channels of communication remain open. A brief meeting took place between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Russian Orthodox delegates at the World Conference of Churches Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany (31 August to 8 September 2022) where there was a robust exchange. The Archbishop of Canterbury also met with leaders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Church continues to pray for an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue in order to secure a negotiated peace settlement. The Church calls on all parties to respect the principles of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and for the humane treatment of all prisoners of war.

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ met online earlier in the year, and channels of communication remain open. A brief meeting took place between the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Russian Orthodox delegates at the World Conference of Churches Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany (31 August to 8 September 2022) where there was a robust exchange. The Archbishop of Canterbury also met with leaders of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Church continues to pray for an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue in order to secure a negotiated peace settlement. The Church calls on all parties to respect the principles of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and for the humane treatment of all prisoners of war.

To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions representatives of the Church have had with their counterparts in the Russian Orthodox Church on the conflict in Ukraine.

The Church Commissioners and our pensions board were some of the first institutions to take all practical steps to withdraw from their direct investments in Russia. The Church of England remains committed to a ministry of reconciliation based on love and truth, and will continue to reach out—for example, through the chaplain of St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Moscow, who is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia.

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of many freedoms, including the freedom of religion or belief. I am very pleased that Ukraine will be represented at the conference on freedom of religion or belief here in July. What, in my hon. Friend’s opinion, would be a successful outcome to the conference for delegates such as those from Ukraine and elsewhere, where freedom of religion or belief is being violated or denied?

It is a really important question. The bottom line must be a reduction in global persecution, which is going up, not down. Presidents and Prime Ministers need to prioritise this issue. We need better co-ordination with civil society. We need freedom of religion or belief in education and we want young freedom of religion or belief ambassadors.

Last week, the Foreign Office sanctioned the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. What steps can the Church of England take to try to persuade the Russian Orthodox Church that it is wrong to back Putin and this barbarous war?

The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken frankly with Patriarch Kirill during the invasion. The Church of England has chaplaincies in both Russia and Ukraine, and will continue to foster dialogue in the pursuit of peace.

Since Russia's invasion, the UK has issued travel bans and asset freezes to over a thousand of Russia's most significant and high-value individuals and over 100 of its businesses. With our allies, we are and continue to impose the largest and most severe economic sanctions that Russia has ever faced, focusing on measures that have the greatest impact rather than the quantity. It is not appropriate to speculate on specific designations in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of the designations.

Our Embassy in Podgorica closely monitored the events surrounding the inauguration of the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Montenegro, and the Littoral in Cetinje, Montenegro. Alongside likeminded partners, we issued a statement on 5 September strongly condemning all forms of violence, and calling for all involved to de-escalate tensions and establish a democratic, inclusive. and constructive dialogue, while respecting religious freedoms, freedom of expression, and freedom to peaceful assembly, as well as the need for individuals to be held to account for their actions.