Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Guildford asks about tensions in Nigeria

The Bishop of Guildford asked a question about Nigeria on 5th July 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Guildford: My Lords, I add my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, for an excellent start to the FoRB conference down the road. In the spirit of that conference and this terrifying escalation in communal and religious tensions in Nigeria in the build-up to the 2023 elections, will the UK use its seat at the UN Security Council to seek a resolution that significantly enhances the security given to communities in Nigeria at risk of attack, including Christian farms and villages in the middle belt that have already been attacked by Fulani militia?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about the retained EU Law Dashboard (REUL)

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th July 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government why (1) the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (No. 1012), and (2) the Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (No. 579), are not included in the Cabinet Office’s Retained EU Law dashboard.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about human rights in Azerbaijan

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 5th July 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the case of the Azeri imam Sardar Babayev, who has been arrested on a charge of treason, and (2) the state of human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

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Bishop of Manchester affirms support for action against Putin and role of church and faiths in aid effort

On 4th July 2022 the House of Lords heard the repeat of a statement made by the Prime Minister in the Commons, on the Commonwealth Heads of Government, G7 and NATO meetings.

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, we on these Benches support Her Majesty’s Government in their response to President Putin’s invasion, as I am sure will our General Synod which is debating the matter this weekend. Aggression must not be rewarded. My right reverend friend the Bishop of St Albans has previously assured this House that the Church stands ready to use its reach and connections to pave the way to a solution, and we also stand ready to use our extensive links to humanitarian organisations.

May I therefore ask the Minister to expand on what is being done to ensure UK aid support reaches all those who need it, particularly through the informal volunteer groups, which have so far received only 0.24%—less than £1 in every £400—of direct donations, and to consider how faith organisations, including the Church, can pay their full part?

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Bishop of Manchester asks a question on ambulance delays

The Bishop of Manchester asked the following question on 4th July 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, our prime objective must be to eliminate all these unacceptable delays as quickly as possible. Can the Minister confirm what work is being done in the interim to ensure that effective pastoral care is available for those who are currently waiting for long periods in ambulances, particularly for the many for whom last rites and other rituals that take place at the point of death form an important part of their faith?

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Church Commissioners Written Answers: Persecuted Christians

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP on 4th July 2022:

Jim Shannon MP (DUP): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church Commissioners have had with Christians Against Poverty on protecting Christians from persecution.

Andrew Selous MP (Con): Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is a UK-based debt advice charity independent of the Church of England. Staff of the National Church Institutions have held discussions with CAP but these have not been on the protection of Christians from persecution.

Hansard

Church Commissioners Questions: Archbishops’ Council

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP on 1st July 2022:

Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to Section 1(1) of the National Institutions Measure 1998 and the statement on page six of the Archbishops’ Council Annual Report 2022 that the Council was established under the National Institutions Measure 1998 to provide focus for leadership and executive responsibility and a forum for strategic thinking and planning, whether the Church Commissioners have made an assessment of the authority of the Archbishops’ Council in respect of the exercise of its executive functions.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about the effects of advertising on mental health and body image

The Bishop of Gloucester asked the following question on 30th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any link between advertising, body image, and mental health.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks a question on women in prisons

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 30th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked Her Majesty’s Government how many women aged (1) 18 to 25, and (2) 26 and above, went to prison in each of the last 10 years; what was the average length of sentence for each of those categories; and what were the 10 most common offences that led to the imprisonment of women during this period.

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Bishop of St Albans asks a question on gambling addiction

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 30th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce (1) a Community Sentence Treatment Requirement for gambling addiction, or (2) a Gambling Treatment Requirement, similar to community sentence treatments for offences where alcohol, drugs or mental health issues were an underlying factor.

Lord Bellamy (Con): Offenders with a gambling addiction may be suitable for a Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) as part of a community or suspended sentence order where mental health has been identified as an underlying factor.

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