Bishop of Leicester asks about free school meal registration

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 23rd February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of potential data processing measures to enable automatic registration for free school meals.

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Bishop of Lincoln asks about UK steel strategy

The Bishop of Lincoln received the following written answer on 23rd February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln asked His Majesty’s Government what is the timeline for the publication of the steel strategy.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about reconstruction in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 23rd February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the repair of graves in the Gaza war cemetery in al-Tuffah.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about steps to support international nature restoration

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 23rd February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support international nature restoration, following their report National security assessment on global ecosystems, published on 20 January.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Credit Unions

On 23rd February 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:

Church Commissioners: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas MP (Lab, Harrow West): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church will offer payroll deductions to all employees to enable them to join a credit union.

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Bishop of Gloucester speaks in debate on prison conditions

The Bishop of Gloucester took part in a debate on the Better Prisons: Less Crime Justice and Home Affairs Committee Report on 12th February 2026, advocating for reform of the conditions and culture inside prisons:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, as Anglican Bishop for prisons, I wholeheartedly welcome this debate and this excellent report. It is also a privilege to follow two excellent maiden speeches.

I submitted evidence to the committee, and I will continue to bang the drum for reform. Better prisons will play a vital role, but they are not the end point or the complete answer to reducing reoffending. I agree with the reframing of this from rehabilitation, as rehabilitation implies that people were once at an acceptable place in life to which they can be rehabilitated, whereas for the majority of people in prison, this was never true in the first place.

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Bishop of Hereford asks about improving animal welfare in livestock slaughter

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on promoting dialogue with religious communities to encourage ethical slaughter methods, during a discussion on animal welfare on 12th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, we would all like to see the minimising of pain and distress to animals prior to slaughter, yet currently a substantial number of animals are slaughtered without prior stunning due to a derogation within domestic legislation, even though, as I understand it from speaking to a large halal slaughter house in my diocese, such stunning is acceptable within Islam. Will His Majesty’s Government work actively with our Jewish and Muslim friends to understand their religious needs and support the development of acceptable stunning methods and improve their uptake within those communities?

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Bishop of Norwich asks about efforts to protect and restore UK ecosystems

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 12th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government, following the report National security assessment on global ecosystems, published on 20 January, what plans they have to prioritise the protection and restoration of ecosystems, particularly those that support the UK food system.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about killing of Palestinian journalists

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 12th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked  His Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about the killing of three Palestinian journalists by a targeted strike on a vehicle on 21 January.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about recent protests in Iran

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 12th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • whether they plan to take further action against the government of Iran, including sanctions and other measures, in response to human rights abuses against protestors by the security forces.
  •  what steps they are taking to encourage the government of Iran to restore internet access and international communications to allow people to search for missing family members after recent protests.
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