On the 6th July 2015 the Bishop of Chester responded to a Government Statement on Greece. The Bishop asked if the Government should be using its role outside of the eurozone strategically and what contact had been made between the UK and Greece recently to discuss the political situation.
Continue reading “Greece crisis – Bishop of Chester responds to Government statement”
On the 6th July 2015 Baroness Wheatcroft asked Her Majesty’s Government “whether the effects of algorithmic trading are being monitored and sufficiently regulated”. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster asked a supplementary question.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks question on rules for share ownership”
Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.
This week bishops in the House of Lords spoke about the response to the attacks in Tunisia, global challenges facing the UK and mental health care for children and young people. They also asked questions on funding to help deaf people find work, climate finance, the constitution and rural rail lines. Bishops also took part in debates in committee on the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question about Commissioner land in Peterborough.
Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 29th June- 3rd July 2015”
“We cannot shirk our responsibility to be a force for good in the world. The type of challenges highlighted by this debate can be managed only in partnership with others—working to win hearts and minds, as well as being involved in any defence initiatives.” – Bishop of Worcester, 2/7/15
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 the Lords debated a motion moved by Lord Ashdown of Norton–sub-Hamdon ‘that this House takes note of the United Kingdom’s role in addressing global challenges posed by terrorism, conflict, climate change and mass migration’. The Bishop of Worcester, Rt Revd John Inge, spoke in the debate.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I begin by expressingmy profound sadness in the wake of the recent horrific terrorist attacks. A student from the University of Worcester was killed in Tunisia, which brought home to people locally that these problems are not “out there”. It demonstrated very clearly the connectivity, of which the noble Lord, Lord 
Ashdown, spoke so eloquently.
What should our response be to the unprecedented times described so well by the noble Lord? While recognising that we have faced more difficult times, as the First World War commemorations remind us, we need to hold on to the strategic objectives that have underpinned British foreign policy since 1945 but adapt them for these new circumstances. We need to recognise that, although we live in an unprecedentedly connected world, it remains fractured and broken, and we need to work ever harder in partnership with others for the global common good. Continue reading “‘We cannot shirk our responsibility to be a force for good in the world’, Bishop of Worcester tells Peers”
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 Lord Forsyth of Drumlean asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘whether they plan to establish a Constitutional Convention to consider the implications of devolution for each part of the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to publish a white paper setting out the consequences for the rest of the United Kingdom of fiscal autonomy for Scotland’. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Minister would have picked up concern on every side of the House on this particular issues and I, along with a number of Members on this Bench, share that concern. In principle we would like to explore the possibility of a constitutional convention. The pastoral letter that the bishops issued earlier this year stated:
“The impatience of politicians or the desire for party advantage must not be the driver for constitutional change”.
If we are not going to have a constitutional convention, how do Her Majesty’s Government intend to involve as many as possible of those people who are passionate to be involved in this so that together we can think carefully about the vital question of the future governance of the UK?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans for a constitutional convention”
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question to Government about reopening rural rail lines.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence recently published in the Campaign to Protect Rural England report Rural Reconnections: The social benefits of rail reopening.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about potential benefits of reopening rural rail lines”
On 30th June 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion from Baroness Tyler of Enfield “to ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to respond to the recommendations of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Task Force Report Future in Mind.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke in the debate.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, for introducing this debate, for the excellent work of the task group and for the commitment that Her Majesty’s Government have already made to this area.
I also pay tribute to the many excellent charities that are working in this area. Just round the corner from where I live in St Albans is a small charity. I do not suppose that any of your Lordships will have heard of it. It is called Youth Talk and it was set up some years ago, in 1997, by a local GP after she realised that there was a need for a safe place where young people could come for counselling and support. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about provision of mental health care services for children and young people”
On 30th June 2015 the House of Lords considered amendments to the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill. The Bishop of Peterborough, Rt Revd Donald Allister, spoke in support of amendments designed to strengthen measures to tackle supply of drugs in prison and to children. Further information and the other speech, by the Bishop of St Albans, can be seen here.
The Lord Bishop of Peterborough: My Lords, I support the aggravated category for prisons and the particularly vulnerable children who are, in one way or another, in care. I am very grateful for what the Minister said about having a meeting on children in care. That is good and I am happy to accept it, but from my fairly regular visiting of prisons in my diocese—I have visited the four that were there but two of them are now closed—I know that the great majority of prisoners are themselves highly vulnerable and need to be treated as such. Continue reading “Psychoactive Substances Bill – Bishop of Peterborough supports measures to tackle supply of drugs in prison and to children”
On 30th June 2015 the House of Lords considered amendments to the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke in support of an amendment from Lord Kirkwood, co-sponsored by the Bishop of Bristol. The amendment sought to make the supply of psychoactive substances to children under the age of 18, or in the vicinity of premises where vulnerable children reside, an aggravating factor of an offence. The amendment was withdrawn after the debate, with the Minister, Lord Bates, promising to meet with the Bishop to discuss it further.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, my colleague the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Bristol is very sorry that he cannot be here, but I have spoken to him and am keen to add a few words of support for these amendments. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans speaks in support of stronger measures to protect children from drug dealers”
On 30th June 2015 the Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nick Holtam, received a written answer to a question on the Government’s future climate finance plans.
The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to address the issue of climate finance at the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change conference in Paris; and whether they plan to commit the United Kingdom to budgeting for climate finance arrangements up to 2020. [HL656] Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury asks Government about commitment to climate finance over next five years”
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