3 March 2025
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, was Duty Bishop in the House of Lords during the week beginning Monday 24 February . This Lords Spiritual role involves being on duty to respond to business in the House as well as saying prayers at the start of each day.
During the Duty Week Bishop Guli spoke and asked questions on a wide range of issues including county lines trafficking, breakfast clubs in schools, affordable rents and social security benefits. On Thursday she asked a Question for Short Debate about British citizens being held by the Iranian regime.
The Duty Week also provided an opportunity for meetings with some Members of Parliament who represent constituencies in Chelmsford Diocese and to Chair a Round Table meeting with David Neal, the former Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration who provided insights into operational and institutional challenges facing the department. Bishop Guli also attended other meetings relating to her roles and work for the Church of England on housing and refugees.
Question for Short Debate on Iran
On the afternoon of Thursday 27 February, Bishop Guli asked a Question for Short Debate about what progress His Majesty's Government are making to reduce the number of British citizens being held by the Iranian regime.
In the House of Lords a Member may ask a question at the end of the day's business, or during the dinner break, and allow a short debate ending with a government reply.
Bishop Guli's question can be watched and read below. The full debate including the response from the minister can be watched here.
My Lords, I am grateful that time has been allocated to this debate and I look forward to the range of contributions, as well as to the Minister’s response.
I declare my personal interest in the subject. I come originally from Iran; I was born in the beautiful and historic city of Isfahan and I left as a teenager, with my family, following the impact of the Islamic revolution on the small Anglican Church community of which we were a part and, in particular, the attempt on my father’s life and the murder of my 24 year-old brother.
As I have said before in this Chamber, none of this has left me with ill will towards my homeland, but rather a profound sense of sadness at its current plight. I retain a deep love for Iran, its beauty and ancient civilization, and I have great respect for my fellow countryfolk, many of whom suffer in an increasingly intolerable situation or find themselves part of the growing diaspora community. I still hope one day to travel back to Iran, but for now this is not possible because of the current regime.
Many in Iran feel trapped. They are desperately seeking political change, but they face stark choices: submit to the unbearable strictures imposed on everyday life, attempt to leave or risk the realities of brutal and crushing suppression. The situation is intolerable, under a regime that has persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and killed so many people.
Noble Lords will be aware of the plight of Craig and Lindsay Foreman. I am sure that His Majesty’s Government are doing all they can to secure their release. As this is an extremely sensitive situation, I will refrain from commenting on their case further, other than to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the Foremans and their family at this difficult time. Unfortunately, the Foremans are not the first foreign or dual nationals to be held captive in Iran, and I fear they will not be the last.
While the Government’s travel advice is clear, I ask the Minister whether anything more can be done to communicate this advice to those working in the travel sector, so that they can advise prospective travellers of the very real risks.
I respectfully ask the Minister if he is willing to acknowledge the reality that these detainees are, to all intents and purposes, hostages. Let us call this situation out for what it is; other countries such as France are willing to do so. I cannot help thinking that the more that European and other countries speak, as well as act, with one voice, the greater the pressure on Iran to change its approach.
There are many foreign or dual nationals languishing in Iran’s jails, typically arrested on spurious allegations and denied access to a fair and free trial, contrary to international law. There have been at least 66 foreign individuals detained—held hostage—by Iranian authorities since 2010, 16 of whom had either British or dual nationality. The highly unjust detention of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was testament to Iran’s disregard for human rights and it exemplified the callous and cruel way in which the regime continues to treat foreigners, as well as its own citizens.
I have learned so much about tenacity, honesty, devotion and dignity from Richard Ratcliffe’s fight for his wife’s release, and from Nazanin herself since her return. I pay tribute to them both and thank them for their friendship. As much as I welcomed HMG’s efforts in that case, the long and painful process illustrated that securing the release of nationals or dual nationals is never straightforward.
Religious minorities are also systematically persecuted in Iran, and religious freedom is severely curtailed for everyone except Persian-speaking Shias. Having said that, basic civil and political restrictions impact the vast majority of the population, Shia or not, but
Christians who have converted from Islam are among the most vulnerable to persecution. They are regularly arrested and can face lengthy imprisonment on bogus charges of acting against national security. I am also acutely aware that the now tiny Anglican community in Iran has still not been allowed to reopen its church buildings since they were closed during the pandemic. The pressure and the uncertainty about their future grow daily, even as numbers continue to dwindle.
Although this is not just a debate about religious freedom, it is incumbent on all of us to stand up, speak out and defend the freedom of religion or belief wherever we can. This freedom is essential for individuals and societies to flourish, and it is the cornerstone on which all human rights are supported. In a dangerous world, Iran presents a threat from many angles—threats that reach out across the globe and affect British national security. The longer the regime stays in power, the longer it can carry on suppressing its own people and being a destabilising presence in the Middle East and more widely.
I urge the Government to work as much as they can in harmony with other nations who also have hostages held in Iran to campaign for the release of all foreign and dual nationals currently in Iranian jails and to champion that which unites us: belief in democracy, freedom and tolerance. I understand that the Minister will not be able to comment in detail, but can he reassure the House that HMG will do everything they can to make sure that they are represented at the Foremans’ forthcoming trial? It is a right of any Government under international law, but one which Iran has been known to deny.
I am very grateful to have been able to highlight this case today and to discuss the plight of all those experiencing oppression in Iran. I pray for the release of all British and dual nationals who have been arbitrarily arrested in Iran and for all those who are suffering oppression because of the regime. I pray too for better days ahead for Iran and Iranians.
Other questions and speeches
Monday 24 February
County Lines Trafficking
On the afternoon of Monday 24 February, Bishop Guli asked a supplementary question in the House of Lords Chamber about County Lines Trafficking after Lord Bidworth asked His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle 'county lines' drug trafficking .
"My Lords, the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces new offences, which appear to have no connection to immigration, of possessing any specified article that might be used in connection with any serious offence. What safeguards does the Minister think need to be in that Bill to prevent the needless criminalisation of children? Does he agree that a legal definition of child criminal exploitation might help in that?"
Tuesday 25 February
Social Security Benefits Uprating
On the afternoon of Tuesday 25 February, Bishop Guli spoke in a debate on Social Security Benefits Uprating in the Moses Room.
"My Lords, it is very good to be here today, and I am glad to be able to contribute on this important subject. As we consider a proposed uprating of 1.7%, as compared with 6.8% last year and 10.1% the year before, I am mindful of the different backdrop to this year’s decision. We may no longer be in a period of soaring inflation, but costs remain high in just about every area of life. The discrepancy between the inflation rate from September 2024, by which most means-tested benefits will be uprated, and the current rate of 3% will be felt particularly by those who have not benefited from wage growth this year. This is a timely moment to explore social security as the Government set out their wider agenda in this area.
The manifesto commitments to review universal credit as a means of supporting people into work and addressing poverty and to produce a child poverty strategy could give us a basis on which to improve the lives of millions of people in our country. Indeed, bold action is required in both these areas, and, like other noble Lords, I await the outcome of these reviews with keen interest.
As the Church of England’s lead bishop for housing, I see the consequences of not aligning housing support with housing costs, with half of private renters on housing benefit experiencing poverty. I suggest that local housing allowance ought to be linked to private rents as a matter of course, especially taking into account research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which shows that 81% of low-income private renters in receipt of housing benefit are going without essentials such as food, heating and warm clothing. I very much hope that the Government will consider the adequacy of social security in their review of universal credit. For the first time since its introduction, we have an opportunity to explore how well the system works and to consider carefully the impact of sanctions, deductions and the five-week wait on the lives and incomes of people who rely on social security simply to make ends meet.
I welcome the introduction of the fair repayment rate, which is an important step towards ensuring that deductions do not cause people to fall below the threshold of what we would consider an acceptable standard of living. Despite this, I still worry about the impact of the deductions. I draw the Committee’s attention to the Private Member’s Bill brought forward by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Manchester, which would equalise the standard allowance of universal credit for care leavers under the age of 25. Care leavers have shared their experiences of deductions from their universal credit, which, when taken from an already lower rate, can leave them struggling to afford essentials. This cohort of young adults cannot necessarily rely on the same level of family support as many of their peers.
Even though we have resumed uprating benefits in line with inflation, their real-terms value is low by historic standards. The major issue is that benefits are not calculated in relation to the day-to-day costs people face. One solution could be for benefits to rise in line with wages rather than prices, as advocated by, among others, the Resolution Foundation. Another could be to introduce a minimum floor in universal credit to ensure that people have the money they need to afford the essentials, as advocated by the Trussell Trust and the JRF. It seems eminently sensible to calculate benefits in relation to the day-to-day costs people face. We have a precedent for this, with pensions credit calculated by comparing a person’s income with the amount the Government think necessary to live on. I would be grateful to hear the Minister’s views on whether means-tested benefits could be subject to a similar assessment.
As I close, I reflect on the impact of poverty on our places of worship and wider communities. There will always be a place for voluntary provision, particularly when it comes to support that requires a more human and relational touch; but we must be attentive to the reasons why there is so much demand for food banks, warm spaces, breakfast clubs and the many other activities hosted in church buildings and by other faith groups and charities. We see first-hand what the statistics bear out: poverty is deepening in our country. Investment in social security, alongside reforms in other areas, is essential in order to turn the tide on poverty."
Thursday 27 February
Affordable Rents
On Thursday 27 February, Bishop Guli asked a supplementary question about affordable rents in the private rented sector after Baroness Grender had asked His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that rents in the private sector are affordable?
"My Lords, one consequence of sustained high rents in the private sector is the conversion of family homes into HMOs. Are the Government monitoring this trend, and what action are they taking on the loss of family homes in this way?"
Breakfast Clubs in Schools
Bishop Guli also asked a question following a statement on Breakfast Clubs in schools
My Lords, like many other noble Lords, I welcome this Statement. How will the Government ensure that breakfast clubs will be accessible to learners with special educational needs and disabilities who may usually be supported by one-to-one staff during the school day?
