Author: parliamentaryunit

Bishop of Winchester asks Government about support for religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria

On 19th March 2015  Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government “what is the strategy of the United States-led coalition for clearing the Daesh out of the territories which they currently occupy in Syria and Iraq.” The Bishop of Winchester, Rt Rev Tim Dakin, asked a supplementary quesion:

Bishop of WinchesterThe Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, even if the current operations to clear Daesh prove successful, the ancient religious and ethnic minority communities in Iraq have an uncertain future. Does the Minister agree with the statement recently submitted by the Holy See to the United Nations Human Rights Council? It said that a future without these communities in Iraq and the Middle East risks,

“new forms of violence, exclusion, and the absence of peace and development”.

Therefore, what steps are being taken to secure the future of those communities, and in particular, their human right to religious freedom? Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks Government about support for religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria”

Church Commissioners answers to written questions on Funding Mission & Ministry and the reburial of King Richard III

tony CCQ1The Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Canon Sir Tony Baldry MP, answered written questions from Anne McIntosh MP relating to the funding of mission & ministry in the Church of England and Hugh Bayley MP relating to the reburial of King Richard III.

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Bishop of St Albans- Homelessness (Written Answer)

On 18th March 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on Government statistics on homelessness.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL5086), when the United Kingdom Statistics Authority expects to complete its assessment of “statistics on homelessness covering homelessness prevention and relief, and rough sleeping”; and where it will be possible to access a copy of its assessment.

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Bishop of Derby highlights role of Church in providing childcare

On 18th March 2015 the Bishop of Derby, Rt Rev Alastair Redfern, spoke in a debate on affordable childcare, in which he focussed on the private, voluntary, and independent sectors. His speech is below, along with the related section of the Government’s response.

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Sutherland, on chairing the committee, on introducing this debate and on enabling us to have TS Eliot as a frame alongside the pragmatism that we need in looking at this important issue. I rise with some trepidation, because I am perhaps the first speaker who was not a member of the committee, so I speak without that expertise behind me.

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Bishop of Derby calls for generous support for interpreters working in conflict zones

On 18th March 2015 the Bishop of Derby, Rt Rev Alastair Redfern, spoke in a debate on the protection of interpreters and translators working in conflict zones. His speech is below, along with the final section of the Minister’s response.

DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, for securing this debate and for introducing it so helpfully. It seems to me that interpreters are like priests; they are mediators and help connect cultures and communities. In this case, they helped campaigns unfold properly and as planned. It is a key role. As we have heard, especially from the noble Lord, Lord Ashdown, it is a very risky role, on the front line in every sense, and we must be thankful for the courage and commitment of those who sign up for it.

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Bishop of Rochester presses government to work for acess to justice for all

On 18th March 2015 the Bishop of Rochester, Rt Rev James Langstaff, asked a question in the House of Lords on the Government’s response to a report on access to justice. He followed it with a supplementary question to the Minister. Those exchanges, along with a transcript of all subsequent questions on the same by Peers, are below.

TBishop of Rochesterhe Lord Bishop of Rochester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take in response to the recommendations of the recently published Theos report Speaking Up.

Lord Faulks (Minister of State, Ministry of Justice): My Lords, the Government have noted the Theos report. We carefully considered the matters raised in it, including access to justice, when developing our policy on legal aid reform. The Government have already committed to a review of the impact of the LASPO Act three to five years after implementation. Even after reform, our legal aid system will remain one of the most expensive in the world at £1.5 billion per year. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester presses government to work for acess to justice for all”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about help for Syrian and Iraqi refugees

On 17th March 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received three written answers to questions of Government about assistance to civilians displaced by conflict in Syria and Iraq:
Syria
Bishop of St Albans
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and other support has been given, or will be given, to the governments of Lebanon and Jordan to ensure they can keep their borders open for Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict in that country.

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Bishop of St Albans asks Government if they have plans to increase the public forest estate

On 17th March 2015 Baroness Royall of Blaisdon asked Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they are taking to protect the Forestry Commission’s stake in Forest Holidays and to ensure that in the event of a sale by the majority shareholder they would not lose all management control of any future development.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Forestry Commission in England is to be congratulated on the significant rise in the number of people visiting our public forest estates, not least as it is against the background of a recent report which suggests that the number of people visiting rural areas has slightly declined. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government if they have plans to increase the public forest estate”

Bishop of Peterborough backs plain packaging for cigarettes

“It is our duty and responsibility in this place to care for what we in the church call the “common good”—to care for the well-being of society and, not least, of young people.”- Bishop of Peterborough, 16/3/15

On 16th March the Bishop of Peterborough, Rt Revd Donald Allister, spoke in a debate on the motion to approve the ‘Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015’, to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes. The Bishop argued that the measure is necessary to safeguard the health of young people in the UK. The motion to approve the Regulations was passed.

14.02 PeterboroughThe Lord Bishop of Peterborough: My Lords, I, too, was not planning to speak, but I am most grateful to the Minister for bringing this measure before us. I will make a very simple point. Packaging is designed to make the contents of the package attractive. This is about changing culture and changing the way that people think about tobacco and smoking. We all know the health arguments—they are indisputable and very clear. However, many young people, in particular, are still led astray and into dangerous behaviour—into self-harming of a very subtle but difficult sort.

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Bishop of St Albans – food security and Syria (Written Answers)

On Monday 16th March 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to two written questions on (i) food security, and (ii) the future of displaced Syrians.

Bishop of St AlbansFood Security

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent research from the National Farmers’ Union on the decline in food production in the United Kingdom and its impact on food security.

Lord de Mauley (Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs):This Government is committed to helping UK food producers thrive and expand. We are working with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and others to support a competitive UK farming industry, including through our £160 million investment in applied research under the agri-tech strategy, as well as the new Rural Development Programme for England, which includes £141 million dedicated to improving agricultural productivity.

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