Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues

Lord Wills Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Wills]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made with the Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues in fulfilling the remit of that role; and what plans they have to deliver on every part of that remit by the end of 2026.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Baroness Winterton of Doncaster) (Lab)]

Since his appointment in February, the UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues has undertaken a range of international engagements to progress work on Holocaust remembrance and education, restitution and tackling antisemitism. The envoy regularly meets international counterparts and domestic stakeholders to discuss practical areas for co-operation on these issues. He reports to the Minister for Human Rights on progress, as outlined in his terms of reference.

[Lord Wills (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Does she share my view about the urgent need to tackle the poison of antisemitism that is once again seeping into our public life? Does she share my view about the importance of the role that our Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues has to play in that? In that context, what discussions has the envoy had with international partners about advancing outstanding Holocaust-era restitution claims across Europe and other ways of recognising victims of the Holocaust, such as Stolpersteine? What progress has been made with Poland in particular?

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for his question. He is absolutely right. We have a shared responsibility to tackle the abhorrent rise in antisemitism. Recognising the Holocaust is a crucial part of this, which the envoy continues to work on. In September, the envoy attended the post-Holocaust issues special envoys network meeting on movable restitution, where participants agreed to focus on fixed private property restitution. At last week’s Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism meeting in Dublin, the envoy agreed a co-ordinated approach to Holocaust-era restitution in Poland with his US counterpart. He also raised the issue with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. The Stolpersteine initiative to which my noble friend referred is excellent. We are supporting communities in Guernsey to lay Stolpersteine outside the homes of residents who resisted the Nazi occupation.