Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Leeds asks about recent statements on the rule of law by the UK

Following a government statement on Russian aggression towards Ukraine on 10th January 2022, the Bishop of Leeds asked a question on perceptions on attitudes regarding the rule of law in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I note that the Statement refers several times to the rule of law, and I am delighted to hear the commitments made by the Minister and the Government. However, it has not gone unnoticed in the Russian press that there have been threats to the rule of law, not least by the Government here proposing legislation that might undermine international treaties. The Statement says:

“The free world must rise to meet the moment. Britain is stepping up and leading by example.”—[Official Report, Commons, 6/1/22; col. 170.]

That is not necessarily how it is seen elsewhere. Perhaps the Minister can comment on that. I do not ask the question to be awkward; I am simply concerned about it.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about access to academic eBooks

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on issues of access to academic eBooks on 10th January 2022, during a debate on the economic recovery of the bookselling industry and libraries following the COVID-19 pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, as pro-chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire I am very aware that during the time of pandemic there have been issues with eBooks relating to university libraries. How will the Government address the current issues of excessive pricing, restrictive licensing and lack of availability of academic ebooks?

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Bishop of Leeds asks about legal costs for postmasters affected by miscarriage of justice

During a debate on compensation for postmasters affected by the Horizon IT Scandal on 10th January 2022, the Bishop of Leeds asked whether legal costs were being paid for these postmasters:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, will the Minister say whether, following on from that question, those who are currently negotiating compensation with the Post Office for some form of redress are having their legal costs paid, or are they expected to pay them and then try to claim them back later?

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Church Commissioners Written Answers: Clergy Discipline

On 10th January 2022, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to questions from an MP:

Rachael Maskell MP (Lab): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners

  • whether the Ecclesiastical Committee has been kept informed of the progress of the review of the Clergy Discipline Measure.
  • when a presentation of proposals to reform the Clergy Discipline Measure will be made available to members of the Ecclesiastical Committee.
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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Clergy Discipline

On 6th January 2022, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:

Rachael Maskell MP: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what progress has been made with the Clergy Discipline Measure review.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about use of virtual Nightingale wards for patients with COVID-19

The Bishop of Leeds asked for clarification on the use of virtual beds at NHS Nightingale hospitals for patients with COVID-19 on 6th January 2022, following a government statement on recent developments in the COVID-19 pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: I am intrigued by the statement about Nightingale hospitals. What is meant by a virtual bed and how does that increase actual capacity, especially in the light of the staffing pressures in the NHS already? If these Nightingale hospitals are to be populated and used, how will they be staffed?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about potential for government purchase of housing to mitigate low numbers of property sales

The Bishop of St Albans asked whether the government would consider a scheme to purchase property from those seeking to move and having difficulty selling their houses due to safety concerns on 5th January 2022, during a debate on building safety:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, one of the very serious results of this problem is that many people are desperate to move, but simply cannot sell their properties any longer. This is causing huge difficulties for people trying to get jobs in other parts of the country. What assessment have the Government made of the Welsh Government’s proposal to start buying some of the properties that cannot be sold for the moment and turn them into affordable housing and social housing and so on, as a way of trying to break the deadlock?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about use of 3D Printing in construction of affordable housing

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

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made as to whether 3D printing represents the future of sustainable and affordable house building.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con, Department for Levelling Up): DLUHC shares the cross-Whitehall objective of increasing the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC provides an important opportunity to improve the quality of new homes, deliver more energy efficient homes, reduce construction waste, improve productivity and address the shortage in construction skills.

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Bishop of St Albans asks question on products of slave labour

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on what steps could be taken to identify products of slave labour to consumers on 16th December 2021, during a debate on the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, what assessment have Her Majesty’s Government made of kitemarking products which originate in Xinjiang province so that people can be informed that they may be produced by slave labour? That would help the economy take action in this important area, where we face such atrocities.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about allocation of funds for land management schemes

On 16th December 2021, during a debate on environmental land management schemes, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the allocation of funds:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition. Can the Minister confirm that the funds allocated for the implementation of the Glover review are totally separate from the funds allocated for ELMS?

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