Church of England – Week in Westminster:16th – 20th June 2014
Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament by the Lords Spiritual and the Second Church Estates Commissioner.
In the past week, bishops in the House of Lords have spoken on the Government’s Serious Crime Bill and Infrastructure Bill, House of Lords reform, immigration removals, and the Middle East. They also received answers to written questions on financial education and climate change. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question on responses to parliamentary questions.
Monday 16 June 2014
Serious Crime Bill – Second Reading debate
The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, took part in the Second Reading debate on the Government’s Serious Crime Bill.In his speech he addressed the Bill’s provisions to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking – having served on the Joint Committee which provided the pre-legislative scrutiny to the Modern Slavery Bill – and also the need for joined-up work across government and civil society to challenge the sub-culture of exploitation and greed that drives organised crime and criminality.
He said “This modern crime is not just about technical ingenuity; it is about people choosing the freedom to abuse others and society”
Full speech and Government response available here.
Financial Education – written question
The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to two written questions on financial education. The original questions, and their answers from the Government Minister are available here
Tuesday 17 June 2014
Climate Change – written question
The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on climate change. The original question and the answer from the Government Minister are available here
Church Commissioners – parliamentary questions
The Second Church Estates Commissioner, the Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, answered a written question from Alison Seabeck MP on behalf of the Church Commissioners, on the subject of parliamentary questions to the Church Commissioners. You can read the question and its answer here
Wednesday 18 June 2014
Immigration removals – oral question
Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked the Government “what assessment they have made of the report Cedars: two years on by Barnardo’s; and what plans they have to implement the recommendations made in that report.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question, which can be read here
Infrastructure Bill – Second Reading debate
The Government’s Infrastructure Bill was debated at its Second Reading in the House of Lords. During the debate, the Bishop of Derby, Rt Rev Alastair Redfern, focused on community energy provisions and, drawing on local examples, the role that churches can play as intermediary institutions.
The Bishop said: “We need to get people in their own backyards to understand, participate in and support this kind of culture change, without which our whole aspiration to deal with climate change issues will fall very far short”
A full transcript of the speech is available here
Thursday 19 June 2014
House of Lords reform- debate
On 19th June 2014, the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, took part in Baroness Taylor of Bolton’s take-note debate on the Labour Peers’ Working Group report on the future of the House of Lords and its place in a wider constitution. He spoke about the ability of the House of Lords to act as an advocate for a diverse number of voices from civil society and strengthen the democratic process.
The Bishop said: “…we need a different kind of representation of the people besides that of MPs and those who vote for them. We need a supplementary system of representation that represents networks, groups, cultures and faiths—that whole complex ecology in which human beings live”
A full transcript of the speech and responses from other Peers are available here
Militant Jihadism in the Middle East – debate
Lord Dykes led a debate to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the threat from the spread of militant aggressive jihadism in the Middle East. The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, took part in the debate, speaking of the challenges associated with tackling transnational groups, and the need for close international co-operation in dealing with them. He also spoke of the need for strong community-based work in the UK, to help tackle and reduce instances of British citizens fighting in the Middle East. He endorsed the strong heritage of European Islam and of the need to engage its voice in a sophisticated debate.
The Bishop said: “I tell noble Lords from my own experience that if we are too heavy-handed we risk further radicalising families and communities at the grass roots, if some of their young are treated without any notion of a trial or evidence—all those British things that we try to stand for. We must handle this matter very carefully”
The speech can be read in full here.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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