Author: parliamentaryunit

Future of Social Care: Bishop of Carlisle speaks on need to rethink approaches to care

The Bishop of Carlisle also spoke in the debate on the future of social care on 30th March 2023, highlighting the central themes of the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care, and the need for change in the approach to social care:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, I have had the great privilege of sitting on both the Adult Social Care Committee and the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care. I also pay tribute to the outstanding work of their respective chairs, the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, and Dr Anna Dixon.

When the two reports were published, it came as no great surprise that there were huge areas of overlap. In fact, a careful analysis has revealed at least 17 different points of congruence, ranging from providing everyone with the opportunity to lead a full life, through to appointing a commissioner for care and support and properly implementing the Care Act 2014—all of which have already been mentioned.

As we have heard, the role of unpaid carers, including children, was highlighted in particular by both reports. Because that became such a central feature of the Select Committee’s investigation and report, it is being fully addressed by many noble Lords speaking in this important debate. Rather than repeating their valuable contributions, I, like the noble Lord, Lord Polak, and the noble Baroness, Lady Shephard, want to focus on another area of concern raised by both reports, namely the current difficulty experienced by those who try to navigate the statutory care and support system. Phrases such as a “baffling range of organisations” and a “fog of confusion” abound. As we heard from the noble Baroness, Lady Pitkeathley, whose long-term contribution to this debate we so value, dealing with the complex and circular bureaucracy is time-consuming and frustrating.

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Archbishop calls for a reimagining of the adult social care system

On 30th March 2023 the House of Lords debated adult social care. The Archbishop of Canterbury drew attention to the recent report from the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Social Care.

The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, for securing this important debate, for her Select Committee’s outstanding report on adult social care and for including the recent report of the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care in the debate title. I am also very grateful to my noble friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Carlisle, who co-chaired the commission. He will be addressing some of its specific recommendations later. I would like to speak about the motivation for its commissioning by the most reverend Prelate the Archbishop of York and myself.

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Bishop of Derby asks about use of nuclear weapons

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on the use of depleted uranium shells by British armed forces, during a debate on the supply of these shells to Ukraine on 30th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: Does the Minister agree that, whatever legitimate concerns people may have about the health and environmental impact of uranium-depleted shells, which I personally share, President Putin’s claim that he is looking to store tactical nuclear missiles in Belarus because the West is collectively beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component is utterly bogus, given that British forces have been using these armour-piercing shells legally for several decades, in accordance with Article 36 of the 1977 protocol additional to the Geneva conventions?

Lord Harlech (Con): I completely agree with the right reverend Prelate.

Hansard

Bishop of Southwark asks about state pensions for British Nationals abroad

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 30th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what stage they have reached in negotiations with (1) the government of Canada, (2) the government of Australia, and (3) the government of New Zealand, on the annual uprating and payment of the UK state pension to beneficiaries resident in those countries.
  •  what representations they have received from, or on behalf of the governments of (1) Canada, (2) Australia, and (3) New Zealand, in the past 12 months on the subject of UK state pensions paid to individuals resident in their territories, and their annual uprating in line with those paid in the United Kingdom; and what representations have they received from non-governmental groups on the same subject.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The government does not have a policy to increase the number of countries with which the UK has reciprocal agreements on state pensions. The government has no plans to change its social security relationship with these countries on state pensions.

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Bishop of Durham asks about Afghan refugee resettlement

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 30th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty’s Government how many of the 22 individuals granted resettlement through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme Pathway 2 in 2022 are currently residing in the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con): We are pleased to have now welcomed the first arrivals to the UK under ACRS Pathway 2, and we will continue to welcome many more people as we receive further UNHCR referrals.

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Bishop of Derby asks about government’s anti-social behaviour plan

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on the issue of criminalisation of children during a debate on the government’s anti-social behaviour plan on 29th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I declare my interest as vice-chair of the Children’s Society. I read the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan with real interest. Criminalising young people through tackling anti-social behaviour is counterproductive, not least given the pressures on the criminal justice system. I am therefore pleased to see a focus on preventive work with at-risk and vulnerable children with expanded funding for youth offending teams, for example. Can the Minister commit to look again at a definition of child criminal exploitation that recognises the abuse and manipulation of vulnerable children, which catches them up into what can become quite horrific spirals of crime? Such a definition would offer them greater protection.

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Votes: Windsor Framework

On 29th March 2023, the House of Lords debated a motion to approve the Windsor Framework (Democratic Scrutiny) Regulations. A vote was held on an amendment to the motion, in which a Bishop took part:

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Bishop of Derby asks about gambling related harm

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on companies being held to account for gambling harms on 29th March 2023, during a debate on breaches of player protection by betting companies:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, given this further evidence of companies serially failing to take care of their customers, what steps are the Government taking to ensure that individuals can hold companies to account for gambling harms?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about HSBC’s purchase of Silicon Valley Bank

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Penn on 14 March (HL Deb col 1282), what exemptions to the Banking Act 2009 they granted to HSBC as part of its purchase of Silicon Valley Bank.

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Bishop of Durham asks about refugee resettlement schemes

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 29th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost of providing the same monthly ‘thank you’ payments to those hosting people who arrived in the UK through the Ukraine Family Scheme as are provided to hosts on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con): Ukrainian nationals coming to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme are given access to work, benefits and public services as laid down in Appendix Ukraine to the Immigration Rules, details of which can be found at:

Immigration Rules – Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

Those sponsoring under the Ukraine Family Scheme are not required to provide accommodation.

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