Bishop of Gloucester asks about family relationships of female prisoners and implementation of the Farmer Review

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 12th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked  His Majesty’s Government how many of the 33 recommendations contained in The Farmer Review for Women, published in June 2019, have been implemented.

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Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Durham supports inclusion of missions on child poverty and health inequalities

On 11th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the first day of the report stage. The Bishop of Durham spoke in support of two amendments to the bill:

  • Amendment 4, tabled by Baroness Lister of Burtersett, which would include a mission to reduce childhood poverty in the levelling-up missions
  • Amendment 7, tabled by Baroness Finlay and supported by the Bishop of London, which would include a mission to address health disparities in the bill

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 4, to which I have put my name and which I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for leading on, and to Amendment 7, to which my right reverend friend the Bishop of London has added her name. She sends her apologies that she cannot be present today.

I draw attention, as has been done already, to the latest research on the number of children living in poverty in the UK. I highlight particularly that in 2021-22 in my part of England, the north-east, more than one in three children were living below the poverty line. The number of children living in poverty in the region has seen an increase of 26% since 2014-15—the steepest rise of anywhere in the country during this period.

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Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill

On 11th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the first day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of St Albans asks about tackling rural crime

On 11th July 2023, the Bishop of St Albans tabled a question on what steps the government are taking to tackle rural crime:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to counter rural crime.

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper and declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition.

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Bishop of Durham asks about paid parental leave

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 11th June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked  His Majesty’s Government, further to the joint report by the Centre for Progressive Policy, Pregnant Then Screwed and Women in Data Leave in the lurch: Paternity leave, gender equality and the UK economy, published on 15 June, what plans they have to adopt the recommendation contained in that report to increase statutory paid leave entitlement for fathers.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about issues associated with lotteries

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 11th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 15 June 2023 (HL8253) what training is provided to retailers about the risk of National Lottery and society lottery products.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con): The 2018 Health Survey for England showed that lotteries were associated with the lowest rates of problem gambling of all gambling products considered, and the National Lottery Operator is mandated under its licence to have player protection strategies.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about arrests connected to livestock worrying

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 13 June (HL8317), how many (1) arrests, and (2) prosecutions, were made in connection to livestock worrying in the last four years.

Lord Benyon: Defra does not hold this information. Data on arrests and prosecutions may be held by individual police forces or by the courts.

Hansard

Votes: Online Safety Bill

On 10th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Online Safety Bill in the second day of the report stage. A vote was held on an amendment to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Online Safety Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports amendments on definition of online harms

On 10th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Online Safety Bill in the second day of the report stage. The Bishop of Oxford spoke in support of a group of amendments to the bill stipulating that online harms can arise from functionality and design of services as well as from content:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, as often, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baronesses, Lady Harding and Lady Kidron, and to support this group of amendments, especially those to which I put my name. I thank the Minister and the Secretary of State for the many amendments they are introducing, including in the last group, on which I was not able to speak for similar reasons to other noble Lords. I especially note Amendment 1, which makes safety by design the object of the Bill and makes implicit the amendments that we are speaking to this afternoon, each of which is consistent with that object of safety by design running through the Bill.

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Bishop of Chichester asks about missing asylum-seeking children

On 10th July 2023, the Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the plans for accommodation of asylum seeking children who are found after going missing from Home Office accommodation, and whether the government could confirm that such children would be returned to local authority care rather than the care of the Home Office:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, our duty of care in the welfare of children is provided for in a number of ways: the Children Act is one, as is the routine of Ofsted inspections of schools and children’s care homes. Can the Minister confirm that, if an asylum-seeking unaccompanied child is found after going missing from Home Office accommodation, they will not be returned to hotel accommodation but instead will be returned to local authority care, where all their rights under the Children Act can be met and the quality of their accommodation will be subject to Ofsted regulation and inspection?

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