Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of St Albans asks about knife crime in Hertfordshire

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many instances of knife crime occurred in Hertfordshire in (1) 2022, (2) 2021, (3) 2020, and (4) 2019.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con): The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the noble Lord Bishop’s Parliamentary Question of 9 February is attached.

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Bishop of Durham asks about number of asylum claims dealt with since January

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the backlog of asylum claims on 21st February 2023, during a debate on the practice of accomodating asylum seekers in hotels:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, slightly contrary to what the Minister said earlier, surely one of the main reasons hotels are being filled is because accommodation is being blocked, in a sense, because so many applications have not been processed in due time. Could the Minister update us on the reduction in the numbers awaiting their claims being dealt with, as was promised in January? Have they been reduced, and by what number?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about offences resulting from experiences of domestic abuse

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on defence for victims of abuse who commit an offence on 21st February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the commitment by Lord Wolfson of Tredegar on 3 February 2021 (HL Deb col 2286) to “regularly reassess the effectiveness of any law and associated practices in protecting victims”, what recent assessment they have made of the need to review the existing defences for individuals whose offending or alleged offending results from their experience of domestic abuse.

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Bishop of Durham asks about conditions for asylum seekers

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 21st Febrary 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the asylum application waiting list of the requirement to reassess refugees with Group 2 status every 30 months.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con): The Home Office will publish further details in due course on the process for Group 2 refugees applying for further temporary refugee permission to stay after 30-months.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about housing provision for vulnerable groups

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on provision of low cost housing for vulnerable groups of people such as those released from prison on 20th February 2023, during a debate on leasehold charges and transparency for leaseholders:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, some of the most vulnerable in society, including prison leavers and refugees, can be heavily penalised by the housing system. In the south-west, there is a joint project with the police and crime commissioner to manufacture low-cost eco-pods which provide not only employment and skills for prisoners on day release but a potential solution to rehousing vulnerable people. What is being done to speed up this sort of housing provision for vulnerable groups?

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Bishop of Leeds asks about rights of religious minorities in Pakistan

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answers on 20th February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of forced marriages and conversions of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan; and what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding this practice.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about trade with Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 20th February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what is the value of UK direct imports and exports to:

  • Ethiopia
  • Eritrea
  • Sudan

Baroness Neville-Rolfe (Con): The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the noble Lord Bishop’s Parliamentary Question of 30 January is attached.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 20th February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 31 January (HL4816), what consideration they have given to increasing the £350,000 given in aid to the Start Fund for Nagorno-Karabakh due to the ongoing blockade of (1) food, and (2) medicine, caused by the closure of the Lachin corridor.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about backdated tax allowance payments for married couples

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 20th February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the total amount of backdated marriage allowance payments that have been paid in (1) 2022, (2) 2021, (3) 2020, and (4) 2019; and what estimate they have made of how much has not yet been claimed.

Baroness Penn (Con): The information requested is not readily available to HMRC and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Hansard

Bishop of Gloucester asks about funding for development of food banks into alternative social programmes

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 20th February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for a funding programme for food banks to develop into alternative forms of initiative, such as food clubs or social supermarkets.

Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con): Food Banks are independent, charitable organisations where local communities come together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit across the country. The Government has no role in their operation.

Hansard