Author: parliamentaryunit

Bishop of Durham asks about EU regulations for reuniting refugee families

Bp Durham June 2015 bOn 29th February 2016, the Home Office Minister in the House of Lords, Lord Bates, repeated a statement on Child Refugees in Calais. The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a supplementary question.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, can the Minister confirm how tight or loose are the parameters on family relationships under Dublin being used in this? That is one of the concerns of those working on this in the NGOs—how tight or how loose the family ties can be defined as. Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about EU regulations for reuniting refugee families”

Bishop of Durham highlights the peacemaking role of the Church in Sudan

14.06.10 Bishop of Durham 5On 29th February 2016, Baroness Cox asked the government “what assessment they have made of continuing military offensives against civilians in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan by the Government of Sudan.” The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a supplementary question. Continue reading “Bishop of Durham highlights the peacemaking role of the Church in Sudan”

Church Commissioners: Bishop George Bell

Caroline SpelmanOn the 29th February 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered three written questions from Rt Hon Frank Field MP regarding the deceased former Bishop of Chichester, George Bell.

Frank Field: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the settlement the Church Commissioners made to the complainant against George Bell was made directly in relation to allegations against Bell, or on the basis that a complaint made under a subsequent Bishop, was not handled in a way which would be expected today. Continue reading “Church Commissioners: Bishop George Bell”

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)