parliamentaryunit

Bishop of St Albans asks about advertising and compensation paid by gambling companies

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 17th November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government:

what assessment they have made of the report by Bristol University What are the odds? The appeal of gambling adverts to children and young persons on twitter, published on 26 October; and particularly the findings that (1) the majority of gambling advertisements were twice as likely to appeal to children as older adults, and (2) nearly half of children and almost three quarters of young people saw gambling adverts on Twitter almost once per week.
what assessment they have made of the recommendation from the report by Bristol University What are the odds? The appeal of gambling adverts to children and young persons on twitter, published on 26 October, that there should be an opt-in requirement to receive gambling advertisements on social media.

Bishop of Durham asks about use of Napier Barracks as asylum accomodation

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 17th November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government what is the definition of an accommodation centre applied by the Home Office; and what are the reasons Napier Barracks is not classified as such.

Dormant Assets Bill: Bishop of Ely supports creation of community wealth funds on behalf of the Bishop of Newcastle

On 16th November 2021, the House of Lords debated the Dormant Assets Bill in the report stage. The Bishop of Ely, on behalf of the Bishop of Newcastle, spoke in support of an amendment to the bill which would support the creation of community wealth funds to assist deprived communities in reducing inequality and improving local infrastructure:

The Lord Bishop of Ely: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, is correct that my friend the Bishop of Newcastle has made her valedictory speech, but I have been permitted to speak on her behalf. Noble Lords may have noticed a certain discrepancy in height and volume between me and the Bishop of Newcastle but she is living proof that stature has nothing to do with size. I applaud my friend for her significant role as a Lord Spiritual and a community leader in Newcastle; the city has honoured her with the freedom of the city in recognition of her work.

In support of the amendment, we would like to say that the creation of community wealth funds, as the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, has said, will strengthen community life in left-behind communities, including many in the diocese of Newcastle. Levelling-up investment, while welcome, has been largely about hard infrastructure but we want to see more investment in social infrastructure so that our communities can flourish. It is precisely that social infrastructure which could be provided by the community wealth funds, so they are already creating confidence in communities even if the consultation is yet to happen.

Bishop of Ely asks about number of children awaiting speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy

The Bishop of Ely asked a question on the number of children waiting for speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy assessments following initial assessments on 16th November 2021, during a debate on NHS waiting lists in England:

The Lord Bishop of Ely: My Lords, can the Minister confirm the number of children waiting for treatment for speech and language and for physiotherapy and occupational therapy assessments after their initial assessment? Those treatments are vital for supporting educational development of children as we recover from the pandemic. Are those figures included in the published waiting list figures—and, if not, why not?

Lord Kamall (Con): I thank the right reverend Prelate for that question. Unfortunately, I do not have the statistics with me, but I shall write to him.

Hansard

Bishop of St Albans asks about human rights and religious freedom in Cuba

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 16th November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in response to the 4 November statement by the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief on the government of Cuba’s targeting of religious leaders following protests in July.

Bishop of Durham asks about impact of decision to use Napier Barracks as a facility for housing people seeking asylum

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 16th November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact on integration of housing people seeking asylum in Napier Barracks.

Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con, Home Office): The ongoing use of Napier Barracks is necessary to meet the demand to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. The support and integration of asylum seekers accommodated in Napier is the same as those accommodated in other types of accommodation.

Bishop of Coventry asks about conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answers on 16th November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the OSCE Minsk Group regarding the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the (1) Syunik, and (2) Gegharkunik, provinces.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con, FCDO): The UK Government is closely monitoring the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Through the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and bilateral engagement in Baku and Yerevan, UK officials continue to urge the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities to settle all outstanding matters including the peaceful negotiation of their borders. Although not a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, the UK continues to support its work to facilitate discussions on issues such as border tensions.

Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill: Bishop of Bristol supports amendments on short sentences on behalf of Bishop of Gloucester

The Bishop of Bristol spoke in a debate on amendments to the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill on 15th November, on behalf of the Bishop of Gloucester. The speech was in support of amendments tabled by Lord Dubs and by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, which sought to raise the threshold for imposition of short custodial sentences where community orders or other alternatives could be imposed instead:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I speak on behalf of my right reverend colleague the Bishop of Gloucester, who is unable to be in her place. She declares an interest as Bishop to Her Majesty’s Prisons in England and Wales. These are her words.

“I am delighted to add my name in support of Amendment 213, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Dubs. I also have great sympathy for Amendment 212, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Ponsonby. Both aim to remedy some of the justice system’s current overemphasis on prison sentences without sufficient regard for whether prison is an effective remedy for the offender or a guarantee to the safety and benefit of the community. By and large, short sentences have proven ineffective on both counts.

Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill: Bishop of Ely speaks in support of amendments on prison release schedules

The Bishop of Ely spoke in a debate on the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill on 15th November 2021, in support of amendments that would prevent prisoners from being released on a Friday, a weekend, or a public holiday, in order to ensure that newly released people would have access to services and support:

The Lord Bishop of Ely: My Lords, I was not intending to speak to these amendments but, having been involved in prisoner resettlement in the past, I feel it is important to say that Friday release has a particular impact on younger women prisoners if their only option is a bail hostel.

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