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:
Votes: Windsor Framework
Author: parliamentaryunit
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?
Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks about gambling related harm”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.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about HSBC’s purchase of Silicon Valley Bank”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:
Those sponsoring under the Ukraine Family Scheme are not required to provide accommodation.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about refugee resettlement schemes”Bishop of St Albans asks about prosecutions for female genital mutilation
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 Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 14 March (HL6096), what assessment they have made of why there have only been two prosecutions for female genital mutilation out of the 229 offences recorded.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about prosecutions for female genital mutilation”Bishop of Durham asks about school lunches for children in poverty
The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 29th March 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the analysis by the Child Poverty Action Group, published in June 2022, which found that there are currently 800,000 children in poverty in England that are not eligible for free school meals, what steps they are taking to ensure that all children in poverty are eating a healthy and substantial lunch every day.
Baroness Barran (Con): The Autumn Statement 2022 announced £26 billion in cost of living support for 2023/24. This includes Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable. In 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to a further £900 in Cost-of-Living Payments. A £300 payment will be made to pensioner households and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Also included is the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24 and raising the benefit cap by 10.1% in line with inflation.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about school lunches for children in poverty”Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich highlights need to encourage farmers engagement with Environmental Land Management Scheme
The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich spoke during a debate on a motion to approve new regulations on direct payments to farmers, highlighting the need for support for farmers to engage with Environmental Land Management Schemes:
The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: My Lords, I shall follow the comments that we have just heard. I declare a new interest as the president-elect of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, where we see the issues that have just been described in the uplands similarly in small family farms in Suffolk.
By and large, the farmers that I speak to want to embrace the ELM scheme and many of them are doing so. What those who are embracing it are saying to me about those who are not yet doing so is that somehow the scheme needs to be made more attractive, the incentives need to be increased—particularly for the smaller family farmers—and the process simplified in some way so that they can gain access to the scheme. I understand that His Majesty’s Government are seeking to achieve 80% take-up of ELMS by 2030. I ask the Minister where we are with that at the moment and what he sees as the possibilities of accelerating and incentivising the take-up by those who, as we heard earlier, might need hand-holding in that process.
Votes: Energy Bill
On 28th March the House of Lords debated the Energy Bill (HL) in the first day of the report stage. A vote was held on an amendment to the bill, in which bishops took part:
Votes: Public Order Bill
On 28th March 2023, the House of Lords debated Commons Amendments to the Public Order Bill. A vote was held on further amendments, in which bishops took part:
Public Order Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports conditions on stop and search powers
On 28th March 2023, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of an amendment to the Public Order Bill tabled by Lord Coaker, which would seek to place conditions on how suspicion-less stop and search powers are used by police:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as co-chair of the national police ethics committee, but obviously I am not speaking on behalf of it today. I had hoped not to have to speak at all this afternoon but after the contributions of other noble Lords I feel I must say a few words.
Continue reading “Public Order Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports conditions on stop and search powers”
You must be logged in to post a comment.