Month: December 2023

Bishop of Durham asks about cultural value of the BBC

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the cultural value brought to the UK by the BBC on 12th December 2023, following a government statement on the BBC licence fee:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: Will the review look at what the BBC generates for the nation, as well as what goes in? Arguably, it generates far more money than the £3.8 billion, but this cannot be reduced to just an economic debate. Will what the BBC generates in good will around the world and our standing as a nation, because of what it does, be taken into consideration?

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Bishop of Durham asks about role of faith leaders in Israel & Gaza

On 12th December 2023, the Bishop of Durham asked a question on the involvement of faith leaders in diplomatic conversations on the situation in Israel & Gaza:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, this tragic situation is also caught up in the complexity of the religious faiths of the region. In what way are faith leaders involved in the diplomatic conversations to seek to bring peace?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about train manufacturing and refurbishment in the UK

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on contracts for train manufacture and refurbishment in the UK on 12th December 2023, following a government statement on the potential closure of the Alstom manufacture site in Derby:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, last week in the other place the Department for Transport said that the contract tenders for refurbishing existing trains would be brought forward very soon. Time is short for Alstom, the only end-to-end manufacturing facility in the UK. Can the Minister give any assurances about how soon these contracts will be brought forward, because the days are now being counted down?

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Bishop of Durham asks about potential for community sponsorship scheme for Afghan refugees

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the potential for community sponsorship, similar to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, to allow Afghan refugees to come to the UK on 12th December 2023, during a discussion on the threat of deportation faced by former Afghan special forces soldiers currently in Pakistan:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interest as a trustee of Reset, as laid out in the register. The British population have a lot of sympathy with these Afghans. What work has been done to learn the lessons from Ukraine and see what levels of community sponsorship might be offered to such Afghans who qualify under these schemes, and to welcome them here? I recognise that this is a Home Office question, so I understand if the Minister needs to write.

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Bishop of London asks about risks to the social care sector under new immigration rules

The Bishop of London asked a question on the impact of losing overseas health & care workers under the government’s new immigration restrictions on 12th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, we are very familiar with the pressure on the social care workforce. As the Minister pointed out, we have seen vacancies fall within the social care sector, which is very welcome, but that is supported by the recruitment of 70,000 staff from overseas. I am glad that the health and care sector is exempt from the new visa charges, because we are clearly reliant on assistance from overseas. However, given that they are no longer able to bring dependents on their visa, have the Government considered the impact that this will have on recruiting workers from overseas into the social care sector?

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Bishop of Winchester introduced to Lords

On 12th December 2023, the Bishop of Winchester, the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat on the Bishops’ Benches as a Lord Spiritual:

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about ending the freeze in Local Housing Allowance

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 12th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of ending the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates before April 2024.

Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con, DWP): As announced by the Chancellor in the recent Autumn Statement, the Government will be investing £1.2 billion in 24/25 increasing LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This is a significant investment of over £7 billion over the next five years.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about proliferation of infectious diseases resulting from climate emergencies

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked  His Majesty’s Government what precautions they have taken against the spread of infectious diseases resulting from future climate emergencies.

Lord Markham (Con, DHSC): The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) established a Centre for Climate and Health Security to address the challenges posed by climate change to public health. UKHSA was commissioned by the National Adaptation Programme to update the evidence on the health impacts of climate change through a United Kingdom-focused report entitled Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK. This report is due to be published in mid-December.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about aid to Bangladesh in support of Rohingya refugees

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 27 November (HL485), how much the UK donated in aid to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, (3) 2019, (4) 2020, (5) 2021, and (6) 2022.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about transport poverty in rural areas

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to respond to the high level of transport poverty in rural areas, as outlined in the report Getting the measure of transport poverty published by the Social Market Foundation on 15 November.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Government understands that the transport needs of communities in rural areas differ from those in urban environments for a variety of reasons including demographics, lower population density and travel distances.

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