The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 21st Janaury 2021:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made towards introducing Integrated Domestic Abuse Court pilot schemes.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about new domestic violence scheme in the courts”
On 20th January 2021, the Bishop of Portsmouth spoke at the second reading of the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, questioning the effectiveness of the legislation and potential repercussions on legitimate claims against members of the the armed forces:
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth [V]: My Lords, reflecting on the Bill, its intentions and likely legal effect reminded me of something I learned during my time as chaplain of Wadham College, Oxford, during the febrile days of the 1980s. Wadham was then, as now, a crucible of intellectual innovation, not least in literary studies. Its senior English fellow then was Terry Eagleton, who interested himself in a method of criticism known as deconstruction. This meant, I think, that the story we thought we were reading or being told was undermined by another narrative hidden within the text, so what we might have thought meant one thing often meant something entirely different.
The Bill before the House represents a model of deconstruction. The Government’s stated intention is, as we heard in the gracious Speech,
“to tackle vexatious claims that undermine our Armed Forces”.
I regret to say that I cannot see how the Bill, as drafted, fulfils that intention. The Government may then deserve two cheers for acting when other Governments have not, but action is not the same as outcome. The good intentions of Ministers and their statements in Parliament and the media do not match what the Bill will do. The Bill would do what the Bill states, not what the Government would like it to do, or what an MoD press release announces as its objectives. I leave it to other noble Lords far better qualified than I to reflect on the very troubling risk that the Bill might lead to crimes of torture going unpunished as well as providing an attractive precedent for those countries that have historically accepted lower standards than our own.
Continue reading “Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill: Bishop of Portsmouth speaks at second reading”
The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the wellbeing of children under five and support for the early years and childcare sector in the course of the COVID-19 Pandemic on 20th January 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the wellbeing of children under five affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they are taking to support the early years sector affected by the pandemic.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about support for children under five and the early years sector amid COVID-19 pandemic”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 2oth January 2021:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that Eritrean soldiers are stealing religious artefacts from churches in Tigray.
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The Bishop of Bristol asked a question on equipping those tackling domestic abuse to understand faith contexts on 19th January 2021, following a government statement on Domestic Abuse and Hidden Harms during Lockdown:
The Lord Bishop of Bristol [V]: My Lords, I, too, express my thanks to the Government for their work on domestic abuse issues, particularly following the announcement of “Ask for Ani”. However, as the Minister will know, there are certain issues that particularly impact minority ethnic groups and people of faith. Will the Government look to take on the recommendations of the Keeping the Faith report and seek to increase faith literacy within secular bodies so that they are equipped to respond to particular harms found within a faith context?
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The Bishop of Bristol asked a question on the costs of visas for musicians performing in the UK on 19th January 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, senior musicians I spoke to this weekend described experiences of agonising paperwork and fees, and sense that foreign promoters are already hesitant to offer engagements to UK groups. How do the Government intend to ensure that the increased costs associated with obtaining permits and administrating these tours will not, as a result, exclude all but the most privileged?
Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks about visas for touring musicians”On 18th January 2021 in the House of Lords the Bishop of Bristol asked a question about mental health, the Bishop of Coventry asked about Armenian heritage.
Meanwhile the Bishop of St Albans and the Archbishop of York received written answers to questions on gambling-related harm and Ethiopia.
Full text below.
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In the House of Lords on 14th January 2021 the Bishop of St Albans received written answers to questions on vaccines for developing countries and the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia while the Bishop of Durham received answers to questions on the recent updated report by the Child Poverty Action Group and the Church of England on Poverty in the pandemic.
Meanwhile in the Chamber, the Bishop of Birmingham raised the issue of devolution in England with the Government during Lord Young’s Oral question about the formation of a Constitution, Democracy and Human Rights Commission. Text below:
Continue reading “Vaccines for developing world, poverty in the pandemic, devolution and Ethiopia “
On 13th January 2021, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill. Votes were held on the amendments, in which Bishops took part:
In the House of Lords on 13th January 2021 the Bishop of Durham spoke during the debate on the Covert Human Intelligence Bill and the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on support for those living with gambling-related harm. Details below:
The Church of England in Parliament 
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