parliamentaryunit

Bishop of Winchester asks about recognition of Cornish regional identity

The Bishop of Winchester asked a question on government plans to recognise Cornish identity within the future Council of the Nations and Regions on 27th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, given that the UK Government have recognised the distinctive identity of the Cornish through the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, can the Minister say whether there are any plans to recognise that identity within the Council of the Nations and Regions, irrespective of whether they vote for a mayor? I note that the Cornish do not take kindly to being called English.

Bishop of St Albans asks about prosecutions for female genital mutilation

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 27th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to increase prosecution rates against those who have committed offences relating to female genital mutilation.

Lord Hermer (Lab, Attorney General): This Government has committed to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and addressing female genital mutilation (FGM) is critical to achieving this.

Bishop of Winchester asks about support for persecuted Christians

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 27th November 2024:

The Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the 22 recommendations set out in the Bishop of Truro’s independent review of Foreign and Commonwealth Office support for persecuted Christians, published in July 2019; and what is their timescale for doing so.

Bishop of Norwich highlights importance of rule of law for faith and society

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on the importance of the rule of law on 26th November 2024, highlighting the intersection of the rule of law with faith communities and the need to uphold human rights legislation, particularly with regards to immigration and asylum:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Smith, for bringing this debate forward and congratulate her on her outstanding maiden speech. I also congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Laing of Elderslie, on hers.

While I feel an utter novice in this area, especially following such informed speeches, I am acutely aware that your Lordships have a role in reviewing decisions of the General Synod of the Church of England and passing—or not—our Measures into law. As such, our ecclesiastical laws are also laws of the land. The Church of England values its participation in this process, and, by virtue of that, engaging with any debate on the rule of law that strengthens the ordering of a safe, healthy and flourishing society.

Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of flooding on farming communities

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the impact of flooding on farming communities on 26th November 2025, following a government statement on the aftermath of Storm Bert:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I ask the Minister to return to our farming communities. We know that this is a complex problem and we rely on our farmers to work very collaboratively with all sorts of agencies to try to prevent the water coming down into vulnerable areas. As we have noted in the last few days, our farming community is already quite vulnerable and feeling very nervous, particularly because there are some reports that the Countryside Stewardship higher-tier scheme may not open until mid-2025. It is another thing that may affect some of our farmers. Will the Minister commit to ensuring that her department does everything it can to bring the application dates of the Countryside Stewardship higher-tier fund forward as much as possible, to help our farmers?

Bishop of Newcastle asks about increases in drug related deaths in England and Wales

On 26th November 2024, the Bishop of Newcastle tabled a question on increases in drug-related deaths in England and Wales during 2023, asking what steps the government would take to reduce the number of such deaths:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of data published by the Office for National Statistics on 23 October indicating that the number of drug-related deaths in England and Wales was higher in 2023 than in any other year since records began in 1993, and what steps they are taking to reduce the number of such deaths.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about steps taken to ensure Israel acts in accordance with humanitarian law

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on steps being taken to call on Israel to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international humanitarian law on 26th November 2024, during a discussion on restrictions on international aid workers in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, what specific steps are being taken to call on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and its other obligations under international humanitarian law?

Bishop of Sheffield asks about access to extracurricular opportunities for young people

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 26th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what percentage of 11–18-year-olds in Sheffield currently have access to regular out of school activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer, in accordance with the goal set out in the National Youth Guarantee.

Mental Health Bill: Bishop of London raises issues of trust and accessibility for faith communities

The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Mental Health Bill on 25th November 2024, raising the issues of trust and accessible care across different communities and faith traditions, and the need for investment in the mental health workforce:

My Lords, I am grateful to be able to participate in Second Reading of this important Bill. It is a privilege to follow the noble Baronesses, Lady Barker and Lady Watkins, who have a real breadth of experience in this field. I too welcome, along with many noble Lords, the reform of the Mental Health Act, which is long overdue.

The noble Earl, Lord Howe, highlighted the over-representation of minoritised communities detained under the Act but also placed on community treatment orders. Some groups are also more likely to be detained through contact with the criminal justice system or emergency departments. It is important to remember that we are speaking about these inequalities in the wider context of health inequalities; some groups present to health services far later, when their symptoms have worsened. The Royal College of Nursing notes in its briefing that mental health services are

“not seen as accessible to all communities”,

and that:

“Many black men have a first interaction with a service via the police during a crisis”.

Bishop of Newcastle asks about oral health in the north-east of England

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on dental health among children in the north-east of England and government plans to introduce a national strategy for children’s oral health on 25th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, the Child of the North report, published in September, on the crisis in oral health in children, reported that 20% of children in the north-east have tooth decay in their permanent teeth. What plans do the Government have to implement one of the report’s recommendations—namely, to have a national strategy for children’s oral health, of which the establishment of new dental schools could be a part?

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