Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 22nd November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to use schools and nurseries as hubs for delivering health services to support families and meet the health needs of children and young people, especially within disadvantaged communities.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about delivering health services in disadvantaged communities”The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the need for a joined up policy to tackle homelessness among asylum seekers on 21st November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: Both the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, and the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, have raised the really troubling issue of asylum seekers leaving accommodation and being made homeless. In the Government’s strategy, Ending Rough Sleeping for Good, there was talk about having a transparent and joined-up system. What plans do His Majesty’s Government have to ensure that homelessness policy and asylum policy are working together so that we can minimise this dreadful problem?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about plans to tackle homelessness among asylum seekers”The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the government’s long term asylum and immigration strategy on 20th November 2023, following a government statement regarding the Supreme Court Judgement on the proposed Rwanda Immigration Partnership:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, we on these Benches are quite clear that we cannot have open borders, that we must stop people risking their lives, and that we need to stop the people smugglers. But we are also clear that we cannot export our moral responsibilities towards those seeking sanctuary on to the shores of another country, be it Rwanda or anywhere else. This is such a long-term, complex, worldwide problem that we need a long-term strategy for tackling this refugee crisis, in concert with our global partners, so while the Government are proposing some immediate new laws, what are they doing to address the scale of the problem, to provide long-term certainty? Will the Minister commit to developing and publishing a long-term strategy so that we can all try to engage with this in a much more measured way?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about long-term immigration and asylum plans”The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the number of doctors coming to work in the UK from other countries in the last year on 20th November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, how many doctors, including GPs, have come from outside the UK in the last year for which we have records? What long-term plan is there to stop us relying on having to bring in doctors from countries that need them far more than we do because they are much poorer than here in the UK?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about numbers of doctors coming to the UK from overseas”
The Bishop of Bristol received the following written answer on 20th November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Bristol asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Historic England register Heritage at Risk, published on 9 November, what steps they are taking to support, repair and maintain new entries on that register.
Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks about entries on the Historic England “Heritage at Risk” register”The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 20th November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what support they are offering to local authorities to help them partner with (1) voluntary, and (2) faith, organisations in the implementation of Family Hubs.
Baroness Barran (Con, DfE): The department recognises the importance of both voluntary organisations and faith group partners to the family hub model. Both have a vital role in supporting families to improve the reach and impact of the family hub offer, particularly for those seldom heard parents and families. The department has set the expectation in its family hubs guidance that local authorities partner with voluntary and faith organisations as part of their family hub model. Family hubs bring together resources, expertise, and assets to provide an integrated offer to support families and respond to the needs of the community. The family hubs guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide(opens in a new tab).
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about implementation of Family Hubs”On 16th November 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following answers to questions from MPs in the House of Commons:
Engagement with Children and Young People
Bob Blackman MP (Con, Harrow East) asked: What recent progress the Church of England has made on increasing engagement with children and young people.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Questions: Engagement with Young People, Cathedrals, Same Sex Relationships, Persecuted Christians, Antisocial Behaviour, and Parish Ministry”
On 16th November 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:
Priti Patel MP (Con, Witham): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church Commissioners will review the decision to demolish the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Birch, Essex.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Closed Churches”During a debate on capacity for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in schools on 15th November 2023, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the use of SEND provision and the need for statutory assessment of pupils needs before a transfer to alternative provision:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Education Committee report of September 2023 recommends that the department scrutinise the use of alternative provision settings and ensure that children and young people with SEND are transferred there only after having a statutory assessment, and not use them as a behavioural management tool. What steps has the department taken towards addressing this issue?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about SEND provision in schools”The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the work of hospices caring for children with terminal and long term conditions during a discussion on hospice funding on 14th November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I am grateful for this announcement. We have a wonderful hospice in Worcester, the Acorns Children’s Hospice, which does extraordinary work with young people. Does the Minister accept that, although a minority of children die in hospices, the number of children cared for by them greatly exceeds that. Their work is invaluable.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about children’s hospices”
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