Questions – Page 171 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Coventry asks about sustainable development and support for sub-Saharan Africa

The Bishop of Coventry asked a question about the UN Sustainable Development Goals on 13th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, the latest Goalkeepers report from the Gates Foundation finds that we need to speed up the pace of our progress by five times if we are to stand any chance of meeting the goals. Mindful of the noble Lord’s earlier answers, does he agree with the report’s emphasis on providing to sub-Saharan Africa and other low-income regions the necessary support and investment in agricultural R&D to provide for innovative inventions such as drought-resistant maize and short-duration rice?

Bishop of St Albans asks about famine in the Horn of Africa

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question about the government’s assessment of the famine in the Horn of Africa on 13th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the famine in the Horn of Africa.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con): My Lords, the crisis in east Africa continues to worsen. Drought is causing significant levels of food insecurity. Over 51 million people in the region are estimated to be facing severe food insecurity, and of particular concern is the recent data from the Bay region in Somalia projecting that famine is likely to occur this year. The UK is a major humanitarian donor to the east Africa region and UK-funded activities are making a difference and saving lives. In the financial year 2022-23, the UK intends to provide approximately £156 million in humanitarian aid across east Africa. Of this amount, nearly 50% has already been allocated to help those affected by this devastating crisis.

Bishop of Coventry asks about aid budget in relation to the conflict in Ukraine

The Bishop of Coventry asked a question regarding responses to the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia during a debate on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on 12th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I look forward to the forthcoming public vote at the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russian annexation of the four Ukrainian territories and, I understand, calling for a negotiated settlement. That will pass easily but, despite these recent indiscriminate attacks, as the Secretary-General described them, it looks likely that there will be a large number of abstentions from the majority of the developing world. Can the Minister say why so many countries remain non-aligned and what steps are being taken to address their concerns? In that context, would she accept that, with so many developing countries feeling the impact of the war, the Government should not look to balance their own books by cutting the aid budget further?

Bishop of Worcester asks about child wellbeing report

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question about the Children’s Society Report on children’s wellbeing on 12th October 2022, during a debate on children in care:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, the quality of life of children in care is clearly a matter of grave concern, but I wonder whether the Minister is aware of the Children’s Society latest The Good Childhood Report, which suggests deep concern about the continuing decline in the well-being of children generally. As expected, the current cost of living crisis is having a significant effect on families: 85% of parents and carers, the report suggests, are very concerned about the future. The Children’s Society report suggests ways forward. Is the Minister aware of them? Faster rollout of mental health support, a permanent boost to social security lifelines and extended help with school lunches are among them. Will the Minister comment on that?

Bishop of Leeds asks about proposal for a European Political Community

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 12th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proposal made by the President of France on 9 May for the creation of a new “European political community” to promote cooperation between the EU and its neighbours; and what conversations they have held with (1) the President of France, and (2) other EU countries, in relation to the attendance of the UK at the first European Political Community Summit in Prague on 6 October.

Bishop of Coventry asks about impact of potential Russian use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

On 11th October 2022, The Bishop of Coventry asked a question concerning potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia in Ukraine and the impact this would have on the future spread of nuclear weapons:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, what is the Government’s assessment of the impact of the present threat and the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons on the wider non-proliferation regime? What measures are they taking to strengthen the long-term resilience of that regime, together with the Article 6 commitments of the NPT?

Bishop of Southwark asks about government response to raids by Israeli Defence Forces on a church and civil societies in Ramallah

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 11th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government:

what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding a raid by the Israeli Defence Forces on St Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ramallah on 18 August; and whether they have asked them to undertake an investigation into that incident.
what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding a raid by the Israeli Defence Forces on the offices of seven Palestinian civil society organisations in Ramallah on 18 August.

Bishop of Durham asks about Social Security payments

The Bishop of Durham asked a question about rising poverty on 10th October 2022, during a debate on social security and inflation:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I take the Minister back again to the question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady Lister. This morning, the Legatum Institute made it very clear that the number of people in poverty will rise if the rates are not increased by the rate of inflation. Will the Minister acknowledge that that is simply the fact if the Government do not do that?

Bishop of Durham asks about families and households

The Bishop of Durham asked a question regarding government policy towards families during a debate on the Children’s Commissioner’s Family Review on 10th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, one of the most interesting discoveries in the report, for which the Children’s Commissioner for England is to be commended—it is a really good report—is that policymakers work on households but families themselves think more broadly than households, and that “family” needs to be the thing that drives policy rather than “household”. This is seen, for example, in young offenders and in other areas of life. Can the Minister comment on thinking about changing how policy is made towards family?

Bishop of St Albans asks about development aid to Sudan

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 10th October 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how much UK overseas aid they provided to Sudan in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, (3) 2019, (4) 2020, and (5) 2021.

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