parliamentaryunit

Bishop of St Albans asks about status of British Nationals (Overseas) in Hong Kong

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the ability of British Nationals (Overseas) to leave the territory of Hong Kong on 19th April 2021, during a discussion on pro-democracy campaigns in Hong Kong:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: Will the Minister tell us what assessment the Government have made of the ability of BNO applicants to safely leave the territory, after it has emerged that the Government of Hong Kong have asked some foreign Governments not to accept BNO for working holiday visas in Europe, North America and parts of Asia?

Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester welcomes legislation and wider work in rehabilitative justice

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the second reading of the Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill on 16th April 2021, welcoming the bill and stressing the need for rehabilitation to be at the centre of the prison system:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I add my condolences to those already expressed regarding the sad death of Dame Cheryl Gillan. I echo others in affirming that it is her commitment to reform that means that we are discussing these issues today.

I declare my interest, as stated in the register, as Anglican bishop for prisons in England and Wales. It is a great privilege for me to visit a variety of establishments. In conversations with prisoners, governors and chaplains, you get a sense of those issues that, if tackled, could have a real impact. Drug use within prisons is one of those issues.

Votes: National Security and Investment Bill

On 15th April 2021, the House of Lords debated the National Security and Investment Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Bishop of Leeds asks about potential conflict in Ukraine

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the response potential conflict in Ukraine on 15ht April 2024, during a debate on the amassing of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds [V]: My Lords, given the relative ineffectiveness of the western response to the invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014, what assurance might Ukraine assume, should conflict or further invasion ensue? Also, could the Minister comment on any prognosis for the future of the Minsk accords and the prospects for Normandy?

Financial Services Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports amendments to establish standards for debt collectors and to regulate online gambling

On 14th April 2021, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Financial Services Bill. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of an amendment seeking to introduce a regulatory body for debt collectors, and moved his own amendment which would establish greater autonomy for users on blocking online gambling purchases:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 16 and then address my own Amendment 27. The introduction of a regulatory body to oversee the rules governing the behaviour of bailiffs would greatly strengthen complaints handling for the victims of practices that fall outside the national guidelines. The FCA reported in its Financial Lives 2020 Survey that 3.8 million people in the UK are currently experiencing “financial difficulty”. It is a terrible situation that takes a significant toll on people’s health and relationships. This amendment seeks to address an important concern: the fair treatment of people by enforcement agents who collect debts, often from vulnerable people who are in grave financial distress.

The absence of an independent regulator means that, when breaches of national standards occur, any complaints will be dealt with through the company or a trade association, before possibly being passed on to an ombudsman. This is an arduous process that prevents complaints from being adequately actioned. Furthermore, these national standards are not legally binding, which obscures the extent to which an individual can seek redress. No industry is exempt from poor practice. While most enforcement agents will probably abide by national standards, nevertheless we need to make sure that they are properly regulated.

Votes: Financial Services Bill

On 14th April 2021, the House of Lords debated the Financial Services Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Bishop of Gloucester speaks in debate on building an inclusive society

The Bishop of Gloucester took part in a debate on building an inclusive society in a post-pandemic world on 14th April 2021, speaking on the topics of children, faith communities, and the marginalised:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for moving this Motion. I want briefly to touch on three areas: children and young people; churches and faith communities; and those living in the shadows.

First, I turn to children and young people. Last month, I hosted an online youth forum in the diocese of Gloucester, bringing together more than 100 people so that adults in different spheres of influence, including our MPs, had the opportunity to listen to young people. Prior to that event, I spent many hours listening to young people speak about the impact of Covid-19 on their lives and I will share a few quotes. “Lockdown’s been so isolating.” “I feel like there should be more knowledge about mental health, not just depression and anxiety, and we should be taught how to deal with them.” “There’s been no direction. We don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s hard for us to try and adapt to all these different situations.” “We haven’t had the chance to say how we feel about things.” “I really hope that sometimes we can be taken more seriously, and that our views can be put across.” “I just want people with influence to understand that there’s a wider range of issues than just the small subsection that they look at.”

Bishop of Durham asks about government’s immigration plan

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the government’s plan for supporting those seeking asylum in the UK on 14th April 2021, in response to a government statement on immigration:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: I begin by declaring my interest as a trustee of Reset and a member of the RAMP Project, as in the register. The Minister knows that I have deep respect for her work, and I am extremely grateful for the co-working we have done on a range of issues over the last few years. There is much that I welcome on the refugee side in the Statement and the policy statement. However, I have some very deep concerns around the asylum side of this. I would almost divide it into one half good, one half bad. The specific question I would like to ask today is this: under the Government’s proposals, the route by which people seeking asylum arrive in the UK will be indicative of the leave they are granted and the support they receive throughout their time. What basic support package, even if less generous, will be available to those granted temporary protection for two and a half years, to ensure that they do not face destitution? How will such temporary systems enable effective integration, which is one of the things that the Statement and the policy statement seek to achieve? I look forward to some robust discussions with the Minister in the future.

Bishop of St Albans asks about resettlement of evacuees following volcanic eruption on St Vincent

On 14th April 2021, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question concerning the recent eruption of a volcano on the island of St Vincent:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, the diocese of the Windward Islands is linked with my diocese here in St Albans and I have been in touch with the bishop, Bishop Leopold Friday, overnight. The churches are already doing a huge amount of work and stand ready to help in any way they can, not least because here in my diocese, in Luton, we also have a large Vincentian population and this matter is affecting people’s families. If there are people who are forced to evacuate from the country, will the Government consider a temporary resettlement scheme for those with family links here in the UK?

Bishop of Leeds asks about revisions to UK Citizenship education

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the possibility of revising UK citizenship education to include a greater breadth of historical knowledge and complexity on 14th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds [V]: My Lords, I am grateful for these answers and glad that this document will be revised in due course. It is a concise, often masterful, précis of some quite complex areas of our history, but surely a confident country can cope with complexity and with where we have failed—it is not just our glorious past. History matters. For example, in relation to the role of the Soviet Union during the Second World War, much of what is regarded as glorious standing alone by the western allies would not have been possible without the role of the Soviet Union, which lost 20 million people. Will the rewriting be open to a wider scrutiny, in order that history is perhaps taken more seriously?

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