Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
The Bishop of London asked a question on the Restoration and Renewal Programme (concerning the location of the House of Lords) on 16th May 2022:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, can the Minister reassure both this House and the public that a full cost-benefit analysis is being undertaken to ensure the good and proper use of public funds?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about the location of the House of Lords”The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question in a debate about refugee displacement on 28th April 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: As we heard the Minister say, the UN estimates that more than 11 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes since 24 February, more than 5 million have fled the country and approximately two-thirds of the country’s children are now displaced. We would do well to remember that these are not just numbers; each of them represents a human life. The outpouring of concern from the British public and willingness to host refugees in their homes has been a powerful statement of love amid this extraordinary tragedy. Indeed, many across the diocese of Chelmsford, which I serve, and across the country, have gone to great lengths to welcome refugees with open arms. Can the Minister expand on what is being done to address concerns raised about delays and complications in processing asylum applications through the Homes for Ukraine scheme?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about Ukrainian refugees”On 28th April 2022 MPs asked Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, about parish ministry, freedom of religion & belief, affordable and sustainable housing, illegal migrant crossings in the Channel, families parenting and marriage, candidates entering Holy Orders, and supporting arts and culture. A transcript is below.
Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions: parishes, freedom of religion, housing, Channel crossings, marriage, new clergy, arts and culture”
The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 28th April 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government who will be on the Independent Monitoring Board referred to in the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government and the government of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement; and when will the Board be fully operational.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about government’s immigration policy”
The Bishop of Manchester asked the following question on 27th April 2022, during a debate on energy security:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as both a Church Commissioner and a board member of a housing association. As things stand, a community with local renewable generation is not allowed to sell the energy it generates directly to local people. Instead, it has to sell it to a utility, which sells it on to customers, creating disproportionate costs. Moreover, community-level generation could be further promoted by ensuring that new housing developments include green energy or even a requirement that they place no increased demand on the grid by generating more of their energy needs. The Bible assures us that the sun shines on both the righteous and the unrighteous. Indeed, I can assure the Minister that it does so even in my notoriously rainy city of Manchester. Can he outline what will be done to promote greater take-up of community energy generation programmes?
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about energy generation”The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question about freedom of religion on 27th April 2022, during a debate on the Amnesty International 2021/22 report:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for referencing freedom of religion and belief. Amnesty International’s latest annual report sets out the parliament of Iran’s introduction of two articles to the country’s penal code that further undermine the right to freedom of religion and belief. These articles prescribe up to five years’ imprisonment and/or a fine for insulting Iranian ethnicities, divine religions or Islamic denominations, or for engaging in
“deviant educational or proselytising activity that contradicts … Islam.”
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about freedom of religion in Iran”
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 27th April 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to provide short-term accommodation for non-vulnerable Ukrainian adults who have been granted leave to remain but have no access to public funds.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about accommodation for Ukrainians in the UK”The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 27th April 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to the rising cost of living, what plans they have, if any, to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance.
Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector. The level of LHA rates is reviewed annually by the Secretary of State.
In 2020-21, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we invested almost £1 billion in the LHA which meant 1.5 million households received an average increase of £600 more than they would otherwise have received.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about housing”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 27th April 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of rural communities’ access to reliable broadband on the fiscal wellbeing of businesses in those areas.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about broadband access in rural areas”
Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP on 27th April 2022:
Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2022 to Question 141113, and with reference to the finding of the report Growing Deeper that where there is an increase in stipendiary clergy, there is a greater likelihood of growth, a decrease in stipendiary clergy is more likely, on average, to lead to decline, what impact is expected on the size of the worshipping community (as defined in Statistics for Mission) in the Diocese of Leicester, as a result of implementing Shaped by God Together, in which each Minister Community may have only one ordained oversight minister; and what the five-year budget forecast is of giving across the Leicester Diocese as a result of the implementation of Shaped by God Together.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Answers: Church Finances and Development”
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