parliamentaryunit

Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of Gloucester tables amendment on support for migrant victims of domestic abuse

During a debate on Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill on 21st April 2021, the Bishop of Gloucester tabled an amendment aimed at securing support services for migrant victims of domestic abuse:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester [V]: My Lords, I will listen carefully to what the Government say in response but, as things stand, I am minded to test the opinion of the House. I draw attention to my interests as stated in the register. I thank the Minister for her work and thank the team of Ministers who have remained so committed to this Bill and have listened deeply. I am grateful for all the time that I have been given to discuss this, but I remain hugely frustrated.

I listened very carefully last week as the other place considered the amendments that we made to the Bill. The Government’s solution to this issue, as we have just heard, is the pilot support for migrant victims scheme. This is insufficient. Although the Minister has just spoken warmly of what it will provide, it is for a limited number of people only. It is estimated that the pilot project will not be able to provide the holistic wraparound support needed to aid recovery, even by those women who access it. It is likely that organisations will need to provide extra support, using donations and other funds, to cover services such as counselling and therapeutic support and medical, travel and legal costs. The pilot project will therefore remain an inadequate means to assess needs.

I remain committed, as I know others do, to ensuring that the Bill is as good as it can be for all victims of domestic abuse. Amid all the debate and discussion, I return again and again to the people—the men, women and children—behind the words and policies. No person should be subject to the horrors of domestic violence, coercion and control. The degradation of humanity in this manner is an evil, and we must do all that we can to stamp it out.

Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of London supports amendment to safeguard migrant victims of domestic violence

On 21st April 2021, during a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill, the Bishop of London spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Baroness Meacher, seeking to ensure that the personal data of migrant victims of domestic violence be safeguarded:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, for sponsoring this amendment, my friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester and everyone who has faithfully backed the inclusion of migrant women in this Bill. As we already know, the Government voted against the amendment, which would have improved access to justice for migrant women. The Commons outcome does not secure any long-term legislative protection for migrant women. That is a shame.

Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports amendment calling for review of existing defences for victims of domestic abuse in the court system

On 21st April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Domestic Violence Bill. The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Baroness Kennedy, seeking to establish an independent review of the effectiveness of self-defence in cases of victims of domestic violence:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I support this amendment, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy. In Committee and on Report, I spoke in favour of amendments to this Bill that proposed a statutory defence of domestic abuse, recognising the significant number of women coming into contact with the criminal justice system who have experienced domestic abuse and previous trauma, and how that becomes a driver for their offending. I do not want to repeat all that the noble Baroness has said, but I will highlight again the statistic of almost 60% of women supervised in the community or in custody who have an assessment have experienced domestic abuse—and the true figure is likely to be much higher.

Regrettably, these amendments have not been included in the Bill, and I therefore strongly support the call to hold an independent review of the effectiveness of existing defences, as proposed by this amendment.

Hansard

Votes: Domestic Abuse Bill

On 21st April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments motions to the Domestic Abuse Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to these motions, in which Bishops took part:

Bishop of London asks about development of community kitchens to combat obesity

The Bishop of London asked a question on the potential for school kitchens to be used as community kitchens to tackle obesity in underserved areas on 21st April 2021, during a debate on reported correlations between obesity rates and COVID-19 deaths:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the reduced use of school space during lockdown highlighted an opportunity for us to make use of school kitchens as community kitchens. This holds real potential for addressing multiple issues such as poverty, obesity, lack of food or loneliness, all at one time. Will the Government consider supporting school kitchens to become community kitchens when not in use by students in order to tackle obesity in underserved neighbourhoods where people often have limited choices in their nutritional options?

Bishop of London asks about steps to ensure deprived communities are not unduly effected by COVID-19

During a discussion on COVID-19 on 20th April 2021, the Bishop of London asked a question on the difficulties of addressing the effects of COVID-19 in deprived communities, particularly in regards to vaccines:

The Lord Bishop of London: I am sure the Minister knows that those from deprived communities are more likely to catch Covid-19, be admitted to ITU and to die from the disease. They are also less likely to take up a vaccination. Could the Minister update us on action by the Government to ensure that Covid-19 does not continue to be a disease of poverty?

Votes: Fire Safety Bill

On 20th April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Fire Safety Bill: Bishop of St Albans moves amendment protecting leaseholders and tenants from remediation costs

On 20th April 2021, the House of Lords debated responses to the Commons Reasons and Amendments on the Fire Safety Bill. The Bishop of St Albans tabled a further amendment to the bill, seeking to protect leaseholders and tenants from remediation costs being passed on by building owners:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I give notice of my intention to seek the opinion of the House when the time comes, and declare my interest as a vice-president of the LGA.

When there is a crisis, we look to Her Majesty’s Government for radical and rapid action. Ministers are good at calling stakeholders to gather around the table. Just yesterday, in the other place, Minister Oliver Dowden said he was appalled by a situation. He promised Members that they should

“be no doubt that if they cannot act, we will … We will put everything on the table to prevent this from happening … Put simply, we will review everything the Government do to support”

this. He went on:

“We will do whatever it takes.”—[Official Report, Commons, 19/4/21; col. 676.]

Bishop of London asks about costs of wedding celebrations

The Bishop of London asked a question on the growth of expensive wedding celebrations on 20th April 2021, during a discussion marking National Marriage Week:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I certainly commend National Marriage Week to this House, especially as one of the themes this year is that a wedding does not have to be an expensive extravaganza. The fees for a church wedding or a simple registry office ceremony are very modest indeed, but the wedding industry is busily ramping up expectations of what a special day should involve. How will Her Majesty’s Government work to encourage couples to understand that marriage itself matters far more than the commercial trappings of a wedding day?

Bishop of St Albans asks about links between gambling and early mortality

The Bishop of St Albans tabled a question on reported links between gambling and early mortality on 20th April 2021, querying whether the government planned to transfer responsibility for gambling policy to the Department of Health and Social Care:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the research by Dr Naomi Muggleton linking gambling and early mortality, published in Nature Human Behaviour on 4 February, what plans they have to transfer responsibility for gambling policy to the Department of Health and Social Care.

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