Parliament returned from recess this week. In the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on housing and prison reform, responded to the Government’s statement about its race disparity audit and asked questions about military action against Daesh. Bishops also spoke on the Government’s Data Protection Bill and voted on an amendment to the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on LGBT support and the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation in Europe. Downing Street announced that the former Bishop of London, Rt Revd Richard Chartres, would be made a Crossbench (independent) Peer. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 9th-13th October 2017”
Month: October 2017
Former Bishop of London to become life Peer
From the website of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
Thursday 12th October 2017
The Archbishop of Canterbury has warmly welcomed the announcement by 10 Downing Street that the former Bishop of London is to be made a life peer.
Bishop Richard, the 132nd occupant of the see, retired in March of this year after almost 22 years in the post. He will sit in the House of Lords as a crossbench member. Continue reading “Former Bishop of London to become life Peer”
Bishop of Chelmsford says decent affordable housing is key to stable, secure communities
On 12th October 2017 the House of Lords debated a motion from Lord Smith of Leigh, “That this House takes note of the impact of Her Majesty’s Government’s policies on the availability and affordability of housing.”
Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford, spoke in the debate, highlighting the importance for stable and secure communities of decent affordable housing. He said that London “is in danger of becoming a city where teachers, nurses, social workers and even Christian ministers can no longer afford to live”.
Bishop of Coventry asks about civilian deaths and cost of military action in Iraq
On 11th and 12th October 2017 Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, received written answers from the Government to questions about civilian casualties and the financial cost of armed conflict in Iraq:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: (i) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the UK’s participation in the US led coalition air strikes in support of the liberation of Mosul.
(ii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to evaluate the deployment of airpower in heavily populated areas following the liberation of Mosul.
(iii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to investigate unintended civilian casualties arising from UK participation in the US led coalition airstrikes to liberate Mosul; and if so, what resources they (1) have committed, and (2) intend to commit, to that investigation.
(iv) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of civilians killed during the liberation of Mosul.
Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about civilian deaths and cost of military action in Iraq”
Bishop of Rochester stresses importance of family in helping prisoners reform
On 11th October 2017 the House of Lords held a short debate on a motion from Lord Farmer, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in implementing the report from the Farmer Review, The Importance of Prisoners’ Family Ties for Reform: Preventing Reoffending and Reducing Intergenerational Crime”. Rt Revd James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, spoke in the debate in his capacity as lead Bishop for Prisons:
The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I, too, welcome this report and I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, and his team for producing it and for providing the opportunity for this debate today. The report itself, as noble Lords who have read it will know, is comprehensive, cogently argued, full of detailed supporting material and, importantly, highlights a number of innovative responses in various places across the prison estate. In summary, a clear case is made for nurturing healthy relationships for those in prison and the connection between that and rehabilitation and reoffending. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester stresses importance of family in helping prisoners reform”
Votes: Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill
On 11th October 2017 the House of Lords voted on an amendment to the Government’s Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill [HL]. Two bishops took part in the vote. Continue reading “Votes: Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill”
Bishop of Chelmsford questions plan to set legal age of consent at 13 for giving personal information online
On 10th October 2017 the Bishop of Chelmsford spoke during the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Data Protection Bill. He questioned the part setting the age of consent at 13 for giving personal information online in exchange for products and services, suggesting there needed to be more consultation on this.
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Jay, for enabling us to discuss the EU data protection package alongside the Data Protection Bill, but I will address my comments to the Bill.
Although I also welcome the rights and protections for children that the Bill offers, not least the right to be forgotten, there is one very important point of detail where reconsideration is urgently needed, which has already been mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, namely the age of consent for children to give their personal information away online in exchange for products and services without a parent or guardian needing to give their permission. Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford questions plan to set legal age of consent at 13 for giving personal information online”
Bishop of Chelmsford responds to Government statement on race disparity audit
On 10th October 2017 a Government statement about the new race disparity audit was repeated in the House of Lords, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, responded to the statement:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, although, let me be clear, the Church of England has nothing to teach anyone else on this subject—our record is not a good one—in the diocese of Chelmsford, where I serve, which includes the east London boroughs, which have some of the most diverse communities in Europe, we have found that of course there is racism and xenophobia but there is also what has been explained to me as unconscious bias.
It is not quite the same as racism; it is those things which prevent us from seeing each other as clearly as we need to. Both in the Church of England generally and in the diocese where I serve, we have done a lot of training over the past couple of years to help people to see their own unconscious bias towards people, and this is already bearing fruit in the church context with black and global majority people coming forward into positions. I wondered whether the Government had looked at that both for us and in wider society to try to move the debate on beyond the binary thing of, “Somebody is a racist or they are not”. Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford responds to Government statement on race disparity audit”
Support for LGBT people – Church Commissioners
On 10th October 2017 the Second Church Estates Comissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, answered two written questions from Ben Bradshaw MP, about homophobic prejudice and violence and support for LGBT people:
Mr Ben Bradshaw:
(i) To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken as a result of the Anglican Primates’ statement of January 2016 on homophobic prejudice and violence and the rejection of criminal sanctions against same-sex attracted people.
(ii) To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken to prevent the imposition of (a) the death penalty and (b) other criminal sanctions on LGBT people on account of their sexuality.
Continue reading “Support for LGBT people – Church Commissioners”
Reformation 500 – Church Commissioners Answer
On 9th October 2017 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, answered a question from Mark Hendrick MP about the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation in Europe.
Mr Mark Hendrick(Preston): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what events and activities the Diocese of Blackburn is undertaking to mark the Quincentenary of the nailing of Ninety-five Theses by Martin Luther on the door of All Saints’ Church, Wittenberg, on 31 October 1517.
Dame Caroline Spelman: Church of England dioceses are marking the 500th Anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation in Europe and parishes are being encourage to commemorate the anniversary in a variety of ways. For example in my own parish of Knowle, a sermon series will be held.
Information on some of the main events being run across the Church can be seen here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/work-other-churches/reformation-anniversary.aspx
Continue reading “Reformation 500 – Church Commissioners Answer”
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