On 4th July 2023, the House of Lords debated Commons amendments and reasons for the National Security Bill. A vote was held on an amendment to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Votes: National Security Bill
Author: parliamentaryunit
Votes: Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill
On 4th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Bishop of Sheffield welcomes plans to tackle homelessness
On 4th July 2023, the Bishop of Sheffield tabled a question on government steps to tackle homelessness following the launch of the Prince of Wales’ Homewards initiative:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to tackle homelessness following the launch of the Prince of Wales’s Homewards initiative.
Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con): We welcome the Prince of Wales’s Homewards initiative and his interest and support in tackling homelessness. The Government have made the unprecedented commitment to end rough sleeping. In September 2022 we published our cross-government strategy, setting out how we were investing £2 billion over three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield welcomes plans to tackle homelessness”Bishop of Exeter asks about decision to end direct payments to UK farmers
The Bishop of Exeter asked a question about the impact of the government’s decision to end direct payments to farmers on 4th July 2023, during a debate on government plans to reduce trade barriers to food imports from the EU:
The Lord Bishop of Exeter: My Lords, I wonder what account His Majesty’s Government have taken of the impact of ending their direct payments to English farmers, and whether it has put them at a competitive disadvantage compared to their European counterparts.
Continue reading “Bishop of Exeter asks about decision to end direct payments to UK farmers”Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Durham moves amendment to ensure safeguarding of migrant children in local authority care
On 3rd July 2023, during a debate on the Illegal Migration Bill, the Bishop of Durham tabled amendment 89, which would “limit the Secretary of State’s power to transfer a child out of local authority care and into accommodation provided by the Secretary of State, by providing that they may only do so where to do so is necessary to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child.”
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as laid out in the register. I will speak to Amendment 89, and I am grateful to my noble friends from differing Benches—the noble Lords, Lord Coaker and Lord German, and the noble Baroness, Lady Helic—for their support. It is a damning indictment that an amendment of this nature is even required, as it proposes such a basic safeguard to ensure the well-being of unaccompanied children. It requires that, if a child is to be transferred from local authority child protection systems, a justification should be provided as to why it is in their best interests to be looked after by the Home Office rather than the local authority.
Continue reading “Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Durham moves amendment to ensure safeguarding of migrant children in local authority care”Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Gloucester backs amendments regarding detention of pregnant women
On 3rd July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Illegal Migration Bill in the second day of the report stage. The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Baroness Lister of Burtersett which would seek to prevent the current 72 hour limit on detention of pregnant women from being removed:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, who expertly outlined why the amendment is needed.
Continue reading “Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Gloucester backs amendments regarding detention of pregnant women”Votes: Illegal Migration Bill
On 3rd July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Illegal Migration Bill in the second day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Bishop of St Albans asks about NHS Integrated Care Board funding applications
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 3rd July 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many S2 funding applications were approved in (1) NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, and (2) NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, and (d) 2022.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about NHS Integrated Care Board funding applications”Church Commissioners Written Answers: Independent Safeguarding Board and Truro Diocesan vacancies
On 3rd July 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:
Independent Safeguarding Board
Mr Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab, Exeter): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners:
- what steps the Church took to resolve the dispute with members of the Independent Safeguarding Board before the decision was made to give them notice.
- whether the Commissioners made an assessment of the potential implications of any obligation to provide an independent mediator to resolve the Independent Safeguarding Board dispute.
- what process the Church is using to appoint new members of the Independent Safeguarding Board.
- whether the work started in phase one of the Independent Safeguarding Board will be completed following the disbanding of the Board.
Bishop of St Albans asks about recruitment in the early years sector
On 29th June 2023, Bishop of St Albans asked a question on effective recruitment for early years and childcare settings following a government statement on childcare reform:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I join others in congratulating His Majesty’s Government for what is a very forward-looking and exciting series of announcements. The research we have on the first 1,000 years and many other pieces of research show just how vital this is, and it absolutely plays into the last debate about our economy in the long run.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about recruitment in the early years sector”
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