Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to curb the sale of looted antiquities from Syria on the international market.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to preventing the sale of looted antiquities. Through our International Cultural Heritage Protection programme, we work closely with international partners, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), Blue Shield International and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on projects to prevent the trafficking and sale of looted antiquities, including those from Syria.

We have a range of provisions in international and domestic UK law, including criminal offences, to protect cultural objects from unlawful removal and illicit trade. UK authorities work with the UK art market and online selling platforms, such as eBay, to combat the sale of stolen and looted cultural objects. The Government encourages anyone who believes that a cultural object has been stolen or looted to raise it with the appropriate authorities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report of the European Parliament A-10-0067/2025 on the 2023 & 2024 Commission on Türkiye and the subsequent motion of 6 May, in particular paragraph 25 of the report where the parliament calls for Turkey to respect the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for Orthodox Christians; recognise its legal personality and the public use of the ecclesiastical title of Ecumenical Patriarch; and protect the value of UNESCO World Heritage sites the Hagia Sophia and Chora Museum.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The UK calls on Turkey, as a founding member of the Council of Europe, to uphold the rights of all religious groups in Turkey as enshrined within the Turkish constitution and to implement the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. Decisions on the status of Hagia Sophia are a sovereign matter for Turkey. However, the Government expects Hagia Sophia and the Chora Museum, as part of a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, to remain accessible to all and that their cultural and religious significance be preserved. We welcome assurances by the Turkish Government that the Hagia Sophia will remain open to people of all faiths and nationalities. The UK continues to work closely with UNESCO, its advisory bodies and partner governments, including Turkey, to promote the highest standards of heritage protection. This will ensure designated sites are protected effectively for the whole of humanity and for future generations.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the BBC World Service on (1) global projection of the UK, and (2) global access to news reporting.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The Government highly values the BBC World Service and its role promoting the national interest, supporting our security and reflecting our culture and values to the world. According to a 2025 survey conducted for the BBC by the independent polling company, Tapestry, the BBC is a leader in driving favourable impressions of the UK and is the country's most recognised cultural export internationally. BBC users around the world are more likely to invest in the UK than non-users (73 per cent of BBC users intend to invest in the UK in the future compared with 51 per cent of non-users).

The World Service provides impartial, accurate news to a global audience of 320 million, 73 per cent in countries with low/no media freedom. For example: Iran (13.5 million weekly reach), Russia, (2.24 million weekly reach) and Afghanistan (4.9 million weekly reach). It remains the world's most trusted international news service.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt concerning the ruling of the Ismailia Court of Appeal on 27 May on the world’s oldest continuous Christian monastery at St Catherine, Sinai, regarding the ownership of the site and of the surrounding area.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government recognises St Catherine's Monastery's historical and religious importance and tracks this long-standing land ownership dispute. Our Embassy in Cairo participated in discussions with the Egyptian government on this issue on Friday 30 May. We will continue to monitor developments and engage on issues of heritage protection and religious freedoms.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will meet members of Save the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem; and what support, if any, they are providing to the campaign of preventing the takeover of Armenian property in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK recognises that Jerusalem holds particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It has been the position of the UK Government since 1967 that the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) are not lawfully part of the State of Israel. In line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. His Majesty's Government continue to support the cultural presence and identity in East Jerusalem. Officials at our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly meet with members of the Christian community and Churches in Jerusalem, including the Armenian Patriarchate, to understand the impact of issues affecting their community.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to ensure there are no changes to the shape of the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem that would be illegal.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK recognises that Jerusalem holds particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It has been the position of the UK Government since 1967 that the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) are not lawfully part of the State of Israel. In line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, we regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. His Majesty's Government continue to support the cultural presence and identity in East Jerusalem. Officials at our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly meet with members of the Christian community and Churches in Jerusalem, including the Armenian Patriarchate, to understand the impact of issues affecting their community.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will recognise the new government of Syria, and what plans they have to help the new government to secure a fair and just administration of Syria.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary visited Damascus on 5 July to renew UK-Syria relations and reiterate UK support to the Syrian Government as it seeks to rebuild the economy and deliver an inclusive political transition. We welcome the progress made, including representative appointments to the Cabinet, a commitment to free and fair elections, and provisions on freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief in the Constitutional Declaration. We will continue to work with the Syrian Government to ensure the political transition proceeds in a genuinely inclusive way and protects the rights of all Syrians, regardless of religious or ethnic background.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias on 22 June, what support they have given to the new government of Syria to help to protect the Christian population against attack.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK strongly condemns the horrific terrorist attack at Mar Elias Church in Damascus, and remains committed to combatting terrorism in all forms. The Foreign Secretary expressed his condolences, and the UK's continued support to the people of Syria, to President Al-Sharaa during his visit to Damascus on 5 July. We have consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians, both publicly and as part of our engagement with the Syrian Government. The Foreign Secretary raised this most recently during his visit to Damascus. We will continue to advocate for the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief for all Syrians.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of arrests made in the Republic of Armenia of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan; and the impact the arrests may have on freedom of religion in Armenia.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The UK is monitoring the recent arrests of opposition figures in Armenia, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. It is important that due process is allowed to take its course, ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly under the law and that judicial proceedings remain transparent and impartial. The UK Government remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief globally.