On 10th January 2018 the Government’s Data Protection Bill was considered at its Report Stage in the House of Lords. Votes were held on three amendments to the Bill, and the Bishop of Chester took part: Continue reading “Votes – Data Protection Bill [HL]”
Author: parliamentaryunit
Bishop of St Albans asks about help for homeless care leavers and ex-offenders
On 10th January 2018 the Bishop ofSt Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to two questions on rough sleeping in London by care leavers and ex-offenders:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans:
(i) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the APPG on Homelessness that, between January and March, 11 per cent of rough sleepers in London were care leavers; and what assessment they have made of the quality of housing support provision for care leavers. HL4372
(ii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding of the APPG on Homelessness that, between January and March, 37 per cent of rough sleepers in London had experience of being in prison; and what assessment they have made of housing support provision for ex-offenders. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about help for homeless care leavers and ex-offenders”
Bishop of Gloucester supports Government Bill to aid victims of domestic violence
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”
Bishop of Gloucester asks about Parole Board funding and due diligence in case of release of John Worboys
On 9th January 2018 the Advocate-General for Scotland (Lord Keen of Elie) repeated a Statement made in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for Justice on the Parole Board’s decision to release John Worboys and the Government’s response to the issues raised by the case. The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, asked a follow up question:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I thank the Minister for bringing this issue to the House and for the pertinent points made on this important subject. What action are the Government taking to ensure that the Parole Board is adequately funded so that due diligence can be performed before decisions are made? Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about Parole Board funding and due diligence in case of release of John Worboys”
Bishop of St Albans asks Government about impact on homeless numbers of freeze in local housing allowance
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 St Albans: My Lords, research by the charity Shelter suggests that if current government policy continues as it is, 83% of areas in England will be unaffordable to those on local housing allowances by 2019-20. What assessment have Her Majesty’s Government made of the effect of the freeze on levels of homelessness? When will that freeze come to an end? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about impact on homeless numbers of freeze in local housing allowance”
Bishop of Southwark asks about assaults, self-harm, time in cells and staffing levels at Wandsworth Prison
On 9th January 2018 the Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, received written answers to six questions about Wandsworth Prison, which is based within his diocese:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark:
(i) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of prisoners on custodial sentence at Her Majesty’s Prison Wandsworth, other than segregated prisoners, spent at least 22 hours locked in their cell on any day in the latest month for which figures are available.
(ii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of prisoners on custodial sentence at Her Majesty’s Prison Wandsworth were unlocked for at least six hours each weekday in the latest month for which figures are available.
(iii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many serious assaults by inmates on one another at Her Majesty’s Prison Wandsworth were recorded in each of the last two years for which figures are available.
(iv) To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents of self-harm by inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison Wandsworth were recorded in each of the last two years for which figures are available. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about assaults, self-harm, time in cells and staffing levels at Wandsworth Prison”
Bishop of Gloucester asks Government about child refugee policy post-Brexit
On the 8th January 2018 Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty’s Government “what new arrangements they propose to introduce to support child refugees following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.” The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, asked a follow up question:
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? Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks Government about child refugee policy post-Brexit”
Bishop of St Albans asks Government about homelessness and empty homes
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:
(i) The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to assess the impact of welfare reforms since 2012 on homelessness; and if such assessments have been undertaken, what were the conclusions. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about homelessness and empty homes”
Bishop of Durham asks Government about schemes to address school holiday hunger
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:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to consider the funding and provision of holiday programmes that would provide free meals and activities for children who would otherwise not have access to such arrangements. Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks Government about schemes to address school holiday hunger”
Week in Westminster, 18th-21st December 2017
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.Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 18th-21st December 2017”
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