Category: Bills

Legislation before Parliament

Consumer Rights Bill – Vote

On 24th November 2014, three bishops took part in a division of the House of Lords, during Report Stage of the Government’s Consumer Rights Bill.

Amendment 31

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Labour Peer Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town moved amendment 31, which sought to remove the requirement for trading standards officers to give 48 hours notice before inspecting businesses, as the Bill currently requires.

The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern and the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smtih, voted ‘content’. No bishop voted ‘not content’.

There were Contents: 194 | Not Contents: 220 | Result: Government Win

(via Parliament.uk)

Consumer Rights Bill – Divisions

On 19th November 2014, four bishops took part in two divisions of the House of Lords, during the Report Stage of the Government’s Consumer Rights Bill. 

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Amendment 1

Shadow Business Spokesperson, Labour peer Lord Stevenson of Balmacara, moved amendment 1, to insert the new clause Consumer credit: bill of sale. The amendment sought to develop a new regulatory framework related to bills of sale as a form of consumer credit.

The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Revd Donald Allister, and the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd John Inge, all voted ‘not content’ with the amendment. No bishop voted ‘content’.

There were Contents: 176 | Not Contents: 244 | Result: Government Win

(via Parliament.uk)

Continue reading “Consumer Rights Bill – Divisions”

Bishop of Derby takes part in debate on Modern Slavery Bill

I wonder whether there is some way of privileging people once they have been recognised as having been exploited or enslaved, to give them a different way of accessing benefits and support because they have been enslaved and treated as commodities. That would make an enormous difference.

On 17th November 2014, the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, took part in the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Modern Slavery Bill. The Bishop, who was a member of  the Joint Select Committee on the Draft Modern Slavery Bill, welcomed the progress that had been made in bringing the Bill to its current form. He noted that concerns about the commodification of humans through slavery required further thinking on supply chain accounting and other aspects of the legislation, and also raised questions about how best the vicitms of trafficking and slavery could be supported by the state.

DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I was privileged to be on the Joint Select Committee and I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Bates, on his very positive introduction. I also express my appreciation to the Government for listening and being willing to negotiate and explore options as this legislation unfolds.

I remind your Lordships that this is not just a huge and wicked crime. It is, as the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, says, increasing as we talk, massively. It treats human beings as commodities to be traded. The challenge of this legislation is to stop this practice. I am delighted that the Government are committed to producing a slavery strategy to complement the Bill and I hope that many of our concerns can be refined through that strategy. I would like to raise three of four things that might benefit from further scrutiny and wider debate in our process. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby takes part in debate on Modern Slavery Bill”

Bishop of Coventry highlights Church in Wales support for engagement with young voters

On 11th November 2014, the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, took part in the the Report Stage of the Government’s Wales Bill. At the request of the Archbishop of Wales, the bishop spoke on behalf of him and the Church in Wales in support of amendments to ensure that electoral registration officers upheld their obligation to engage and support 16- and 17-year olds to ensure they are on the electoral register, and encourage them to vote. Following the debate and comments from the Minister, the amendments were withdrawn.

13.10 Bishop of CoventryThe Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, it is 94 years since the voice of the bishops in Wales has been heard in this House but, as my noble Lord Roberts implied, I thought it right to consult the Church in Wales, and the Archbishop of Wales in particular, about the amendments, which seem to me to have a great deal of merit, to see whether their voice might be heard today indirectly, as it were. As a result, I can say that the Archbishop of Wales has asked me to convey to your Lordships’ House that the bishops of the Church in Wales are very supportive of the amendments. Indeed, I understand that they also support the extension of the franchise, as was proposed and discussed earlier, but I chose to concentrate my consultations on these amendments. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry highlights Church in Wales support for engagement with young voters”

Wales Bill – Division

On 11th November 2014, the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, took part in a division of the House of Lords, on an amendment to the Government’s Wales Bill.

House of Lords Division Lobby

Amendment 1

Crossbench Peer Lord Elystan-Morgan moved amendment 1, to insert the new clause Reserved powers for the National Assembly for Wales, which sought to requre the Secretary of State to bring forward detailed measures on further legislative steps needed to establish a model of reserved powers for the National Assembly for Wales.

The Bishop of Lichfield voted ‘not content’. No bishop voted ‘content’.

There were Contents: 146 | Not Contents: 215 | Result: Government Win

(via Parliament.uk)

Infrastructure Bill – Division

On 10th November 2014, the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, took part in a division of the House of Lords, on an amendment to the Government’s Infrastructure Bill.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Amendment 113G

Labour Peer Baroness Worthington moved amendment 113G, to insert the new clause Underground access: environmental protection, which sought to create new regulations for the extraction of oil and gas through the process known as fracking.

The Bishop of Lichfield voted ‘not content’. No bishop voted ‘content’.

There were Contents: 141 | Not Contents: 237 | Result: Government Win

(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of Chester presses Government on carbon capture during Infrastructure Bill debate

On 10th November 2014, the Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, took part in the Report Stage of the Government’s Infrastructure Bill. He asked the Minister a number of questions regarding the UK’s carbon reduction commitment, carbon capture by power stations, and the UK’s strategy for oil and gas extraction. The amendments that the Bishop spoke to were withdrawn following the brief debate.

14.03 Bishop of ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, can I ask the Minister when she responds to comment on two points? First, if we are now to be committed in this legally strengthened way to the maximum economic exploration of our oil and gas reserves, how do the Government see that to be compatible with the commitment under the Climate Change Act to reduce our emissions to only 20% of the 1990 level by 2050 without also having a strategy for carbon capture and storage, which I think lies behind the amendment?

Secondly, the amendment refers to the economic extraction of our hydrocarbons—I have never yet heard any reliable estimate of what the additional cost will be of having carbon capture and storage on a typical power station, be it a coal station or a gas station. What level of increase per kilowatt hour—in a unit that can be easily understood—is anticipated if carbon capture and storage is required on such stations? That impacts on what is economically recoverable. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester presses Government on carbon capture during Infrastructure Bill debate”

Bishop of Bristol takes part in debate on Assisted Dying Bill

On 7th November 2014, the House of Lords held the Committee Stage of Lord Falconer of Thoroton’s Assisted Dying Bill. The Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Mike Hill, spoke to two amendments that he sponsored and co-sponsored. The amendments sought to strengthen the decision-making process surrounding the application and ingestion of the drugs that would be used to enable someone to commit suicide. Following a short debate on the amendments, Lord Falconer agreed to bring back amendments at Report Stage dealing with the period of time between application and ingestion. However, he did not agree to make further changes to his Bill, as he claimed that the Bishop’s concerns were dealt with elsewhere in the Bill.The Bishop did not press his amendments to a vote.

14.03 Bishop of BristolThe Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I may not be the only one who is a bit confused about what is happening. I stand to speak in support of Amendment 12 tabled by my noble friend Lord McColl, but I would like to address noble Lords’ attention to Amendment 77, which stands in my name. I rather hoped it might have been grouped with Amendment 85, but they stand separately grouped now. I would like to reserve the right to come back to Amendment 85 at a later occasion and I hope a later occasion will occur for that to happen.

Amendment 77 deals with something slightly different. Quite rightly, most of our debate today has focused on the decision to apply for assisted suicide and to sign the declaration. However, it is fair to say that the request for assistance with suicide involves two different and discrete decisions: first, there is the decision to apply for it, and then there is the decision to ingest fatal drugs. The Bill makes it clear that there has to be a minimum of 14 days between the application and the actual ingestion of the drugs, except in the case of somebody who is given a prognosis of a month or less and then the time lag reduces to six days. Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol takes part in debate on Assisted Dying Bill”

Bishop of St Albans calls on Government to uphold its commitment to zero-carbon homes

On 5th November 2014, the Bishop of St Albans tabled an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill, during its Report Stage, which sought to hold the Government to its commitment to a zero-carbon homes strategy as originally envisaged, including removing exemptions for small construction companies and allowing construction companies to buy themselves out of their obligation to build zero-carbon homes. Following the debate on the amendment, assurances were given tat consultation on the commitment were ongoing, and the Bishop did not press it to a division of the House.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, in speaking to Amendment 108A, I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, for co-sponsoring it. I bring forward this amendment out of concern that the standard proposed in the Bill is significantly lower than that already agreed through cross-industry consensus. I fear that an excessive focus on off-site carbon savings will undermine the effectiveness of the proposals and that an exemption for small sites will create confusion by causing the emergence of a two-tiered regulatory system. It is essential that housebuilders meets the carbon compliance standards that have already been agreed through cross-industry consensus. This was endorsed by the Government back in 2011 and strongly supported by around 70% of those responding to their consultation. I am therefore troubled by the proposal of a new on-site energy performance standard for zero-carbon homes that is lower than the one already agreed. It is not clear why this reduction is necessary. The proposed exemptions from the standard for homes built on small sites and for starter homes would also serve to undermine the main purpose behind the zero-carbon standard: namely, that of prioritising carbon reduction. It is to address the lack of measures necessary to realise the Government’s stated commitment to carbon neutrality that I have tabled this amendment which requires the previously agreed carbon compliance standard to be met on-site before allowable solutions can be undertaken. It also requires all homes to meet that standard, ensuring that no exemptions are allowed. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans calls on Government to uphold its commitment to zero-carbon homes”

Infrastructure Bill – Division

On 15th November 2014, three bishops voted on an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill, during its Report Stage. The amendment, tabled by Labour peer Lord Adonis, sought to create a National Infrastructure Commission, based on recommendations made by Sir John Armitt in his independent review into national infrastructure for the Labour Party.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

 

The Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham James, the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, and the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, voted ‘content’ with the amendment. No bishop voted ‘not content’.

There were Contents: 195 | Not Contents: 235 | Result: Government Win.

(via Parliament.uk)