On 6th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
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Legislation before Parliament
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Southwark supports amendment on health and wellbeing
On 4th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the fifth day of the report stage. The Bishop of Southwark spoke in the debate, in support of an amendment in the name of the Bishop of London and other peers which would introduce a duty to reduce health inequalities and improve well-being into the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I also rise to speak to Amendment 198 in the names of the noble Baroness, Lady Willis of Summertown, the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, whom it is an honour to follow this evening, the noble Lord, Lord Foster of Bath, and the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, who sends her apologies that she cannot be here to take part in this debate.
The urgent need to address declining health in the United Kingdom, as well as the widening health inequalities associated with this, cannot be overstated. We have heard many times about the staggering difference in healthy life expectancy, which was already up to 19 years before the pandemic. We must not become numb to such statistics or the reality that underlies them. Amendment 198 is about using the opportunity that this Bill provides to reform the planning system and thereby enable practical action by local authorities to tackle these disparities.
Continue reading “Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Southwark supports amendment on health and wellbeing”Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
On 4th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:
Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
On 18th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the Report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Illegal Migration Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury speaks on motion to ensure scrutiny of government migration policy
On 17th July 2023, during the final day of debate on the Illegal Migration Bill, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke on his motion J1, which would aim to ensure that government policy on migration is considered and debated by the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the future. The motion was not taken to a vote:
The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I will speak very briefly to Motion J1. The amendment put forward under Motion J1 aims to ensure that, not only now but in the future, the Government’s policy is examined. As the Minister said, the current Government’s concentration is on international co-operation and working, although with some hesitation at times, with groups such as the UNHCR and others internationally. The amendment would ensure that that strategy—the way the Government are working—and the context in which migration is being considered are brought in front of both Houses, simply for a debate, with an analysis of the situation by the Government.
The Minister has said very clearly that he does not wish this to happen on the grounds that it is being done now, but this Bill is not about today. It will shortly be an Act, and when it is an Act it will last years—it may last many years. Who knows what will happen in elections in the future, whether they are next year, in 10 years or whenever? We cannot guarantee what kind of Government there will be at that time. That is why we have Acts of Parliament and a system of law which requires changes in the case that people wish to change the way in which this country operates.
Continue reading “Illegal Migration Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury speaks on motion to ensure scrutiny of government migration policy”Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Bristol tables motion to limit detention of vulnerable migrant children
On 17th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Illegal Migration Bill in the final day of the report stage. The Bishop of Bristol spoke in support of her motion E1, which would amend the bill to ensure that children could not be held in detention for longer than 120 hours, or for longer than a maximum of a week with authorisation of a Minister of the Crown:
The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I shall speak to Motion E1. This Motion, as with Motion D1, concerns vulnerable children being deprived of their freedom—in this case, those accompanied children. I am disappointed that, regardless of the strength of opinion across this Chamber, the Government are still not proposing to set limits on the detention of children in the Bill, whether they are accompanied or unaccompanied. Despite the comments of the Minister about the possibility of fake families earlier in the debate, I wish to press the point.
Continue reading “Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Bristol tables motion to limit detention of vulnerable migrant children”Votes: Illegal Migration Bill
On 17th July 2023, the House of Lords debated Commons amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill. Votes were held on motions relating to amendments, in which Bishops took part:
Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Chichester supports amendment on local authority budgets
On 13th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill in the second day of the report stage. The Bishop of Chichester spoke in the debate, in support of an amendment intended to ensure that local authorities have appropriate budgets to meet their funding commitments:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, I wish to speak in support of Amendment 63, which I had understood was tabled in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, but to which the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, spoke. I speak having consulted with my colleague the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Bristol, who has been doing some work in this area.
It seems entirely right and logical that the methodology used for allocating funds for a local authority is based on the most up-to-date information. As has been outlined, the current mechanism of allocating funds does not respond to local needs or local data and often seems to rely on data that is out of date. This will simply act as a barrier to the crucial role local government has to play in ensuring that people can receive the services and support they need, no matter where they live. These services, from collecting bins and filling potholes to providing much-needed support for low-income households and preventing homelessness—core business—have a considerable impact on the wellbeing and welfare of families and households who may be struggling to get by, and in turn affect the fabric of our communities.
Continue reading “Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Chichester supports amendment on local authority budgets”Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Government amends Bill in response to call from Bishop to clarify local authorities grant-making powers to places of worship
On 13th July 2023, during a report stage debate on amendments to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, the Government Minister Baroness Scott introduced an amendment to the Bill to give clarity in the law on the question of the ability of local authorities to issue grants to parish churches and places of worship. The Bishop of Bristol had called for this at the earlier Committee stage, introducing her own amendment, which was not accepted at the time. The Minister’s amendment recognises the need for the changes, and is made in response to the arguments advanced by the Bishop and others at Committee. There was a short debate on the amendment, which the House agreed without a vote.
Continue reading “Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Government amends Bill in response to call from Bishop to clarify local authorities grant-making powers to places of worship”Illegal Migration Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury presses amendment urging government to establish plan for tackling refugee crises and human trafficking
On 12th July 2023, the Archbishop of Canterbury moved his motion Y1 in response to a Commons amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill. Motion Y1 would retain the Archbishop’s amendment to the bill that would require a government commitment to the development of a 10 year strategy for tackling refugee crises and human trafficking:
The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Bellamy, and to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, for what he said. Like him, I will be brief.
Immigration and asylum, as the long series of debates on this Bill has shown, is an extraordinarily divisive issue. Speaking as someone who has been deeply embedded in east Kent for more than a decade now, I know from experience the extent to which communities are divided and individuals are torn between their desire to do what they know is right and care for those arriving, and their apprehension about the impact on local communities. One understands both those feelings very well.
Continue reading “Illegal Migration Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury presses amendment urging government to establish plan for tackling refugee crises and human trafficking”
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