In the last few weeks whilst Parliament has been closed there have been questions in the House of Lords. One question was provided by Philip Mounstephen, the Bishop of Winchester.

He referred to the “Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief”. His question with the response provided by the new “Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)” Ray Collins is below. So here is the question and response.

Bishop of Winchester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to appoint a Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, in line with recommendation 6 of the ‘Truro’ Review of 2019.

Ray Collins: The Government will champion freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. Envoy roles will be decided upon in due course. In the meantime, we will use the strength of our global diplomatic network, including dedicated staff within the FCDO, to promote and protect FoRB around the world.