Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to advance formal diplomatic recognition since the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott, is the Government's primary interlocutor with the Order of Malta. He regularly meets representatives from the Order including in the run-up to Their Majesties the King and Queen's historic State Visit to the Holy See. The Order has also appointed an official representative to the UK, Pasquale Terracciano. Officials from the Foreign, Commowealth and Development Office's Europe Directorate, which has responsibility for the UK's relations with the Holy See, have also met the Order representative since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2024.
This MoU provides a framework for a modern, pragmatic partnership that champions the exchange of knowledge, expertise and good practice on humanitarian and development issues, without changing our position on the Order's sovereign status. Our missions across the globe have been encouraged to engage in this spirit.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has appointed a representative to engage with the Sovereign Order of Malta following the memorandum of understanding signed on 9 October 2024.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott, is the Government's primary interlocutor with the Order of Malta. He regularly meets representatives from the Order including in the run-up to Their Majesties the King and Queen's historic State Visit to the Holy See. The Order has also appointed an official representative to the UK, Pasquale Terracciano. Officials from the Foreign, Commowealth and Development Office's Europe Directorate, which has responsibility for the UK's relations with the Holy See, have also met the Order representative since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2024.
This MoU provides a framework for a modern, pragmatic partnership that champions the exchange of knowledge, expertise and good practice on humanitarian and development issues, without changing our position on the Order's sovereign status. Our missions across the globe have been encouraged to engage in this spirit.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held discussions with European states that maintain diplomatic relations with the Sovereign Order of Malta as part of its recognition process.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott, is the Government's primary interlocutor with the Order of Malta. He regularly meets representatives from the Order including in the run-up to Their Majesties the King and Queen's historic State Visit to the Holy See. The Order has also appointed an official representative to the UK, Pasquale Terracciano. Officials from the Foreign, Commowealth and Development Office's Europe Directorate, which has responsibility for the UK's relations with the Holy See, have also met the Order representative since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2024.
This MoU provides a framework for a modern, pragmatic partnership that champions the exchange of knowledge, expertise and good practice on humanitarian and development issues, without changing our position on the Order's sovereign status. Our missions across the globe have been encouraged to engage in this spirit.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his timeline is for the conclusion of the process of formal diplomatic recognition of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott, is the Government's primary interlocutor with the Order of Malta. He regularly meets representatives from the Order including in the run-up to Their Majesties the King and Queen's historic State Visit to the Holy See. The Order has also appointed an official representative to the UK, Pasquale Terracciano. Officials from the Foreign, Commowealth and Development Office's Europe Directorate, which has responsibility for the UK's relations with the Holy See, have also met the Order representative since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2024.
This MoU provides a framework for a modern, pragmatic partnership that champions the exchange of knowledge, expertise and good practice on humanitarian and development issues, without changing our position on the Order's sovereign status. Our missions across the globe have been encouraged to engage in this spirit.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made regarding the Declaration of humanity by leaders of faith and leaders of belief, published in 2020; how many leaders have signed the declaration and what activities they are planning to engage more widely on the declaration and to ensure its universality.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Declaration of Humanity by Leaders of Faith and Leaders of Belief has been signed by over 750 faith leaders, NGOs and civil society actors in countries including Iraq, Kosovo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The UK Government remains committed to promoting the Declaration, including through the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. In November 2024, at a symposium organised by the British Embassy to the Holy See and the Jesuit Refugee Service, representatives of four major Catholic organisations became signatories.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Holy See on the future of the Tridentine Mass at the Chartres pilgrimage in France.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This is an internal matter for the Catholic Church. We continue to engage the Holy See regularly bilaterally and in multilateral fora on areas of mutual interest. Most recently, on 27 November Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner met Cardinal Parolin, with whom she discussed homelessness, inter-faith dialogue and climate.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to visit the Holy See.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to engage the Holy See regularly both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. The British Embassy to the Holy See supports ministerial and senior official visits from across the government including by Lord Khan, Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, on 27-28 August. On 10 September the Foreign Secretary hosted a reception for the London Diplomatic Corps, which the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, attended. I hope to visit the Holy See as soon as diaries allow.
Asked by: Kemi Badenoch (Conservative - North West Essex)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which religious leaders she has met as Secretary of State.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Deputy Prime Minister has held introductory meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev and Rt Hon Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, and the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Sir Ephraim Mirvis KBE.
The Faith Minister, Lord Khan, chaired a roundtable with Muslim leaders on 8 August, and held a roundtable with interfaith practitioners on 9 August. He has met faith and community leaders following his visit to Southport and the North East on 21 August. Lord Khan has also met Pope Francis as part of an official visit to the Holy See. Visits to places of worship to meet the country’s faith communities will be carried out over the coming months.
On 10 September, Lord Khan chaired an introductory roundtable event with key faith and belief stakeholders to mark his appointment as Minister for Faith. The meeting was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister. The roundtable was attended by representatives from the following faiths and beliefs; Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, the Baháʼí Faith and Humanism. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement are committed to continuing to engage with Faith and Belief groups and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help support (a) civilians and (b) faith groups observe Ramadan in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and calls for places of worship to be respected. We want Israel to use all possible measures to protect the sanctity of holy sites. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets.
Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We are working with partners to help get aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air. We also continue to call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of the scale of destruction of religious heritage as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets. We want to see Israel using all possible measures to protect the sanctity of holy sites. The UK is a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and calls for places of worship to be respected.