Author: parliamentaryunit

Church of England Week in Westminster, 22nd-26th February 2016

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

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This week bishops in the House of Lords spoke to amendments on the Government’s Trade Union Bill and took part in votes on the Scotland Bill and Immigration Regulations. Bishops also spoke in a debate on the Middle East and on a Private Members’ Bill on NHS Charitable Trusts. They asked questions on freedom of speech at universities, conflict in Burundi, sustainable technology and NHS staff. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on pay and on celebrations for the 90th birthday of HM Queen.
Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster, 22nd-26th February 2016”

NHS (Charitable Trusts etc) Bill – Bishop of Bristol supports

On 26th February 2016 the House of Lords debated at Second Reading the NHS (Charitable Trusts Etc) Bill – a Private Member’s Bill from Baroness Massey of Darwen. The Bill’s provisions include securing continuation of funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital from the royalties of JM Barrie (the author of Peter Pan). The Bishop of Bristol supported the Bill.

Bristol160226 cThe Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I am grateful for this opportunity to speak in the gap. For reasons I do not fully understand, my name was missed off the list. I am pleased to stand on behalf of these Benches to say how warmly we support the Bill. I also congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Massey, on her introduction of the Bill, and her ability to take some of the detail of the legislation and, to quote Garrison Keillor, put the hay where the goats can get it. I am most grateful to her for that.

I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Bird, for his remarkable, spontaneous, interesting and engaging maiden speech. I wonder quite what volume he might muster when his throat recovers.

As I said, I am glad to speak in favour of the Bill. I am in favour both of the principle behind it and of its practical application, as many in your Lordships’ House have said, in relation to Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is a remarkable hospital. Continue reading “NHS (Charitable Trusts etc) Bill – Bishop of Bristol supports”

Bishop of Worcester- deep religious literacy fundamental precursor to understanding the Middle East

On 23rd February 2016 Lord Grade of Yarmouth led a short debate in the House of Lords to ask Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they are taking to increase understanding of the Middle East.” The Bishop of Worcester, Rt Revd John Inge, spoke in the debate:

worcesterThe Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Empey, drew attention to our consistent lack of understanding of the Middle East. In the brief time available to me, I should like to highlight one area of that lack of understanding—the religious dimension. What concerns me is the lack of religious literacy in our society even among opinion formers and decision-makers. By religious literacy I mean, as his grace the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury put it recently, not just propositional knowledge but emotional intelligence that enables us to understand the place of faith in other people’s lives. Only with that sort of knowledge will we understand the ideological drivers to discord and violence that poison life in the Middle East, and not just between Israelis and Palestinians. How many understand the disenfranchisement and disenchantment felt in Sunni heartlands, for example? Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester- deep religious literacy fundamental precursor to understanding the Middle East”

Trade Union Bill: Bishop of Bristol raises concerns about proposals on facility time

Bishop of Bristol June 2015On 23rd February 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Trade Union Bill during its committee stage. The Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Mike Hill, intervened during a speech by Lord King on clause 12. The clause, and clause 13 that followed, related to facility time and check off. The intervention is below and the full debate on the clause can be read here. Continue reading “Trade Union Bill: Bishop of Bristol raises concerns about proposals on facility time”

Bishop of Peterborough asks Government what is being done to increase number of doctors and nurses on permanent hospital staff

On 23rd February 2016 Baroness McIntosh of Pickering asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the number of shifts in hospital accident and emergency services not fully manned in each of the last three years.” The Bishop of Peterborough, Rt Revd Donald Allister, asked a follow up question.

14.02 PeterboroughThe Lord Bishop of Peterborough: My Lords, will the Minister please tell us what is being done to help hospitals to have enough doctors and nurses on their permanent staff, rather than having to rely on banks and agencies?

Lord Prior of Brampton: The right reverend Prelate is right that reliance on agency and non-permanent staff has become far too high. It is something we must reduce, not just because it is very expensive to use agency staff, but because the continuity and quality of care suffers. We are taking strong action to reduce the role of agency staffing in the NHS.

(via Parliament.uk)

 

Bishop of St Albans highlights sustainable alternatives to throwaway approach to smartphones

On 23rd February 2016 Baroness Jones of Whitchurch asked Her Majesty’s Government “what progress has been made in reducing levels of unwanted electronic goods ending up in landfill through encouraging manufacturers to produce more sustainable products.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow up question.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, nothing exemplifies our society’s throwaway attitude more than modern smartphones, which are almost impossible to get repaired at a reasonable cost, with batteries that are fixed in them and processors which are designed not to work after a couple of years. In contrast, there are now some social enterprises such as Fairphone, a Dutch company, that are producing phones using ethically sourced materials and in which every part can be replaced or upgraded when necessary. Does the Minister agree that such an initiative needs to be held up to the technology industry as a good example of the way forward to find sustainable products? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans highlights sustainable alternatives to throwaway approach to smartphones”

Church Commissioners – HM Queen 90th Birthday Celebrations

On 23rd February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from Henry Smith MP on celebrations to mark the 90th birthday of HM The Queen.

Caroline Spelman

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Henry Smith (Crawley): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church of England has to mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.

Mrs Caroline Spelman: The Church of England will mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty with a large number of events and activities at national and local levels, including a national service of celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral. Alongside these events, the Bible Society and HOPE have released a companion book titled “The Servant Queen”, with a foreword written by Her Majesty that discusses how her faith has influenced her service of this nation over the last 90 years.

(via Parliament.uk)

 

Church Commissioners – levels of pay

On 23rd February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from David Hanson MP about pay for male and female employees of the National Church Institutions.

Caroline SpelmanMr David Hanson (Delyn): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what the average hourly earnings for their (a) female and (b) male (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employees was in each of the last five years.

Mrs Caroline Spelman: The following information relates to employees of the Church of England’s National Church Institutions (NCIs). Senior salaries, gender and race information are published each year in the annual reports of Archbishops’ Council, Pensions Board and Church Commissioners. Continue reading “Church Commissioners – levels of pay”