On Tuesday 9th January 2018 the House of Lords debated at Second Reading the Government’s ‘Secure Tenancies (Victims of Domestic Abuse) Bill [HL]’. The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, welcomed the Bill:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I wish to comment only briefly today, first by paying tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for her work on this issue and by thanking both her and my right reverend friend the Bishop of St Albans for their initial work during the passage of the Housing and Planning Act. Secondly, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bourne, for his commitment to addressing this issue. I also need to declare an interest as an ambassador for the charity Restored, an international Christian alliance that seeks to end violence against women.
As has been said, domestic abuse of any sort is demeaning, degrading and something that no one should have to endure. Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester supports Government Bill to aid victims of domestic violence”
On 9th January 2018 Lord Kennedy of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government “how many families were homeless over Christmas 2017.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow up question:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: Can the Minister confirm that any new provision will be at least as generous as under the Dublin III regulations and that there will be even wider scope for child refugees to join not only parents in the UK but also other relatives such as uncles, aunts, grandparents and adult siblings? Will they also be given the support they need to live safely and in decent conditions? 
On January 8th 2018 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received written answers to three questions on homelessness, welfare reform and empty homes:
On 4th January 2018 the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, received a written answer to a question on school holiday schemes to combat food poverty:
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates about increasing support for those facing financial exclusion, the EU Council Statement, post-Brexit trade and reducing the size of the House of Lords. They asked questions about support available to the homeless, an imprisoned Christian convert in Iran, advice for customers about switching energy providers, and anti-democratic forces in Syria. In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question about written answer statistics and asked her own question about the new Patterson Inquiry led by the Bishop of Norwich. Parliament rose for the Christmas recess, and will return in January.
On 21st December 2017 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from Chris Ruane MP about written answers: 
On 20th December 2017 Baroness Cox asked the Government “what is their assessment of the current situation in Syria”. The Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, asked a follow-up question:.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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