Category: News

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords spoke to amendments on the Government’s Immigration Bill and in debates on education and renewable energy. Bishops also asked questions on extremism and offence, fixed odds betting terminals, Palestinian statehood and house building on floodplains.

In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on the Queen’s 90th birthday, street pastors, ethical investments, women and BME clergy, credit unions, churches and community use and debt and poverty counselling.

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Monday 1st February

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on Palestinian statehood.

The Bishop of Southwark spoke during the committee stage of the Government’s Immigration Bill.

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Tuesday 2nd February

The Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on fixed odds betting terminals.

The Bishop of Salisbury spoke and voted on a motion to annul Regulations on renewable energy feed in tariffs.

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Wednesday 3rd February

The Archbishop of Canterbury asked an oral question on extremism and offence.

The Bishop of Norwich spoke to amendments on the Government’s Immigration Bill, on the welfare of children, asylum support cuts, unaccompanied young people and care leavers, and family reunion.

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Thursday 4th February

The Bishop of St Albans received an answer to a question on building homes on floodplains.

The Second Church Estates Commissioner published a written answer to a question on church buildings and community use. She also answered questions in the House of Commons on the Queen’s 90th Birthday, street pastors, ethical investments and tax avoidance, women and BME clergy and credit unions.

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on education.

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Friday 5th February

The Second Church Estates Commissioner published a written answer to a question on work with debt and poverty campaign groups in Blackburn diocese.

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week the Bishop of  Newcastle was Introduced to the Lords and took her seat as the Second female Lord Spiritual, supported by the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Southwark.

Bishops tabled, spoke to and voted on amendments to the Government’s Welfare Reform and Work Bill (including successfully passing an amendment on child poverty reporting). Bishops also spoke during debates on the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill, local democracy and education and lifelong learning. They also asked questions about private sponsorship for unaccompanied child refugees, the ‘family test’, Christian-Muslim relations, junior doctors’ pay, prepaid energy meters and on forestry. The Bishop of Durham also led debates to approve two Church of England Measures – on safeguarding and diocesan finance.

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Monday 25th January

The Bishop of Durham successfully passed an amendment to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on reporting child poverty. He also spoke in support of an amendment on life chances. The Bishop of St Albans supported an amendment on disability reporting. Bishops took part in Divisions on the Bill.

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question about forestry. The Bishop of Durham responded to a Government statement on unaccompanied child refugees.

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Tuesday 26th January

The Bishop of Newcastle was  Introduced to the Lords and took her seat.

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question about the Government’s family test. The Archbishop of York also asked about family policy.

The Bishop of Rochester and the Bishop of St Albans both spoke in the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill.

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Wednesday 27th January

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question about Christian-Muslim relations.

The Bishop of Chester asked a question about junior doctors’ pay.

The Bishop of Portsmouth spoke to amendments he had tabled to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on exemptions to the two-child limit. The Bishop of Durham also spoke in favour of the amendments, as well as to others on supported housing.

The Bishop of st Albans supported amendments on the Employment Support Allowance.

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Thursday 28th January

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question about prepaid energy meters.

The Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of Derby both spoke in a debate on local democracy.

The Bishop of Derby also spoke in a debate on education and lifelong learning.

The Bishop of Durham led a debate to approve Church of England Measures on safeguarding and on diocesan finance.

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Friday 29th January

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in support of a Bill to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords have asked questions about the importance of religious literacy in Government, Basic Farm Payments and forced underage marriage. They have spoken during debates on education in prisons and on the Government’s Immigration Bill.  In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner spoke in a debate about the regulation of out of school settings and answered a written question on property development in Peterborough. Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster, 18th – 22nd January 2016”

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords led a debate on recent flooding and spoke in debates on Lords powers, the NHS and the protection of cultural property in armed conflict. They also took part in debates on the Government’s Trade Union Bill and Welfare Reform and Work Bill. Bishops also asked questions on rough sleeping and human rights in China and in Eritrea. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on flooding, roof repairs and preparedness for the EU referendum.

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Wednesday 30th December

The Bishop of St Albans received an answer to a written question concerning the detention of Chinese Human Rights lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang

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Monday 11th January

The Bishop of Rochester asked a question about rough sleepers.

The Bishop also spoke during the Second Reading debate of the Government’s Trade Union Bill.

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Tuesday 12th January

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question about human rights in Eritrea.

The Bishop of Rochester co-sponsored an amendment on supported housing to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.

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Wednesday 13th January

The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a question on flooding in Blackburn diocese.

The Bishop of Rochester spoke in a debate on the Strathclyde Review into powers of the Lords.

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Thursday 14th January

The Bishop of Leeds led a debate on flooding, in which the Bishop of St Albans also spoke.

Both the Bishops of Leeds and St Albans also spoke in a debate on the NHS.

The Bishop of Portsmouth spoke in a debate about protecting cultural property in armed conflict.

 

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Friday 15th January

The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on EU exit vote preparedeness and church roof repairs.

 

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week the House of Lords sat for two days before breaking for the Christmas recess. Bishops spoke to amendments to the Government’s Welfare Reform Bill and also during the Second Reading of the Government’s Immigration Bill. Bishops also asked questions about countering extremism and evaluation of the ‘under occupancy charge’. The House of Lords will return on the 11th January 2016. 

Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 21st – 22nd December 2015”

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords spoke to amendments to the Government’s Welfare Reform and Work Bill and Education and Adoption Bill and spoke in debates on the Paris climate change agreement and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Bishops also asked questions on Sunday trading, academy conversions, airport expansion, learning disabilities, Syrian refugees, the cost of military action in Iraq and Syria, and freedom of religion in Iraq. Bishops also took part in votes on the EU Referendum Bill and the Education and Adoption Bill. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on Syrian refugees, fossil fuel investments and the welfare of hedgehogs. She also tabled a Bill to reform marriage registration certificates, including the addition of mothers’ names.
Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 14th -18th December 2015”

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords tabled and spoke to amendments to the Government’s Welfare Reform and Work Bill and spoke in debates on the Scotland Bill, the Online Safety Bill and on residential care. Bishops also asked questions on flooding in Cumbria, adoption, delays in settling Syrian refugees and acute oak decline. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner led a debate on reform of marriage registration certificates, including the addition of mothers’ names. Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 7th-11th December 2015”

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords spoke during a debate on the Government’s proposals for military action against ISIL in Syria, on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and the Government’s strategic defence and security review. Bishops also asked questions on violence against UK Muslims, Iraq’s Camp Liberty and home schooling. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner spoke in the debate on action in Syria and answered questions on help from churches for Syrian refugees, vandalism of graves and the decision by Digital Cinema Media not to screen an advert by the Church of England. Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 30th November – 4th December 2015”

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

This week bishops in the House of Lords responded to the Prime Minister’s statement on Syria and military action and spoke on freedom of speech in universities, community relations and counter-terrorism, and the impact of loneliness on health and well-being.  Questions were asked about the Government’s defence review, support for rural small businesses and food banks. The Bishop of Chelmsford raised in the House the decision by Digital Cinema Media not to screen an advert by the Church of England.

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Monday 23rd November

The Bishop of Leeds responded to the Government’s statement on the Defence and Security Review.

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Tuesday 24th November

The Bishop of St Albans asked about support for rural small businesses.

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Wednesday 25th November

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question he had tabled on the decision of Digital Cinema Media not to screen an advert from the Church of England.

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Thursday 26th November

The Archbishop of Canterbury asked Government about the link between food bank use and benefit changes. He also responded to the Prime Minister’s statement on Syria and military action.

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The Bishop of Ely spoke in a debate on freedom of speech at universities.

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The Bishop of Rochester spoke in a debate about counter-terrorism and community cohesion.

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The Bishop of Bristol spoke in a debate about public health, highlighting the impact of loneliness and isolation.