Month: September 2023

Bishop of Chichester speaks in debate on ongoing conflict in Ukraine

The Bishop of Chichester spoke in a debate on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on 21st September 2023, raising the importance of religious freedom and the social role played by cultural and religious institutions during times of conflict:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, for introducing this debate and for the time that it gives us to rehearse the serious moral issues confronting us as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. Following the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, I echo my appreciation for the stirring comments from the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup, reminding us with great clarity of the issue of war crimes in this conflict, and the noble Lord, Lord Robertson, for reminding us how high the moral stakes are for us all.

I wish to place on record the importance of the ecclesial and religious dimensions of the political and military conflict in Ukraine, and the historic importance that religion has for the people of that land as the gateway of Christianity in the Orthodox tradition for this whole stretch of northern Europe, from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

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Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Chichester welcomes legislation on financial support for church buildings

On 21st September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in its third reading. The Bishop of Chichester spoke in the debate, welcoming legislation in the bill brought by the Bishop of Bristol clarifying local authority funding for church buildings and parish churches:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, I apologise for my misplaced enthusiasm in wanting to add to these thanks. I shall speak briefly on behalf of my right reverend friend the Bishop of Bristol to record her thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Scott of Bybrook, for all the constructive work that is represented in the Bill and to assure the noble Baroness of our continued prayers for her recovery.

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Bishop of Chichester asks about military action by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh

The Bishop of Chichester tabled a question on Azerbaijan’s military actions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on 21st September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what representations have been made to the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan concerning the military action against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Earl of Courtown (Con): My Lords, Tuesday brought devastating news of the resumption of armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Government urge Azerbaijan to cease military action and return to peaceful dialogue. Violence is never the answer. Yesterday details emerged of a ceasefire. We call on parties to respect this and encourage Baku to continue talks with the local population on a settlement that protects the security of all and enables the humanitarian needs of residents to be met.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about government’s rough sleeping strategy

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 21st September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) their rough sleeping strategy, End Rough Sleeping for Good, and (2) their Rough Sleeping Initiative one year after its launch.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about UK rare diseases framework

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 21st September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK Rare Diseases Framework on international collaboration since January 2021.

Lord Markham (Con, Department of Health & Social Care): Whilst no assessment has been made, international collaboration is an underpinning theme of the UK Rare Diseases Framework.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about properties owned by foreign shell companies

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 21st September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to identify the beneficial ownership of 100,000 properties held by foreign shell companies on behalf of others as disclosed by the report published on 4 September by the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of Warwick and the Centre for Public Data.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about housing supply in London

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 21st September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support London Councils who have reported a 120 per cent rise in requests by landlords for return of properties used as temporary homes and a 41 per cent reduction in the number of properties available for private rental since 2020.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about report on UK Government Asylum and Protection Transformation Programme

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on Thursday 21st September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the National Audit Office’s report on the Government’s Asylum and Protection Transformation Programme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con, Home Office): The NAO report into the Asylum & Protection Transformation Programme fully recognises the significance of the transformation programme, and the efforts of the Home Office to reform the asylum and protection system.

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Bishop of Durham stresses importance of family reunification in migration cases

The Bishop of Durham spoke in response to a motion to take note of the Family Migration (Justice and Home Affairs Committee Report) on 20th September 2023, drawing attention to the work of the Archbishops Commission on Families and Households and to the importance of family reunification:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as laid out in the register, both with the RAMP project and RESET. I am pleased to speak today following the helpful and insightful report from the Justice and Home Affairs Committee. The concept of family, which we all know is much more than just a societal description—it is a fundamental building block of our communal life as a nation—serves as an excellent basis for the review of migration policy. I refer the Minister to the Love Matters report from the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households, which I co-chaired, which has research on how family is now understood in our nation. I commend my friend the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and the committee for their important work.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about moving to use of electric cars

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the progress of moving to electric cars on 20th September 2023, during a debate on the government’s environment policy:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: There is no doubt that His Majesty’s Government have done many good things, and we need all sides of the House to work on this vital area. However, this is not just something which affects some groups; it particularly affects those parts of our nation where air quality is so bad that it is materially affecting the health of many young people and causing huge additional costs to the NHS. What assurances can the Minister give us about the progress of moving to electric cars, to try to make a tangible difference to air quality in our urban areas?

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