Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Southwark asks about immigration of EU and Hong Kong nationals to the UK

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 21st June 2021:

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

  • what assessment they have made of the increase in the number of EU citizens refused entry to the UK in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.
  • how many EU citizens were detained on entry to the UK in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020; and what guidance they issue to immigration staff on making decisions about detention on entry.
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Bishop of Southwark asks about debt relief

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 21st June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government, given the operation of vulture funds and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poorer income countries, what consideration they have given to introducing legislation similar to the time-expired Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about progress of global vaccine equity

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 21st June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to raise the issue of global vaccine equity at the upcoming G7 meeting in Falmouth.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. We are among the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), committing £548 million, which through match-funding leveraged $1 billion from other donors in 2020. This support to COVAX has been critical to it supplying COVID-19 vaccines to over 125 countries and economies. The UK’s investment in developing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine also represents a critical contribution to global vaccination efforts, with 450 million doses having been delivered globally at cost so far.

The UK’s G7 Presidency is also championing equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to help the world fight and build back better from this pandemic. The UK has committed to sharing 100 million vaccine doses by June 2022, with the majority going to OVAX. We welcome the commitments made by our G7 partners to this shared goal, and look forward to discussing how we can work together to progress this agenda further.

Hansard

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to the WHO Director-General’s remarks on 9 April that bi-lateral vaccine donations exacerbated global vaccine inequality, how many vaccines they have donated (1) to individual nations, and (2) to the COVAX programme; and what plans they have to support to the COVAX initiative further.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains committed to equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, and the Prime Minister has called on G7 leaders to vaccinate the world by the end of next year. As the multilateral mechanism set up to support international cooperation on vaccines, COVAX remains best-placed in allocating vaccines fairly and effectively.

The UK was one of the earliest and largest donors to COVAX, donating £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment. Our early funding gave COVAX the purchase power it needed to secure deals with manufacturers to supply internationally-approved vaccines for up to 92 low and middle income countries. So far, COVAX has helped deliver over 81 million doses to 129 countries and territories. The UK is also among the largest donors to the ACT-Accelerator, committing up to £813 million of UK aid to partners for the development and distribution of vaccines, treatments, and tests in developing countries, including £250 million of core funding to the Coalition for Pandemic Preparedness (CEPI) in 2020 to support its work to accelerate the development of, and access to vaccines. We will continue to discuss this issue with our G7 partners, and will issue details of the quantities and timeframe for UK sharing of vaccine doses soon.

Hansard

Bishop of Leeds asks about deployment of troops at the border between Armenia & Azerbaijan

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 21st June 2021:

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

  • what assessment they have made of any evidence that Azerbaijani troops have been deployed in the Syunik and Gegharkunk provinces in Armenia.
  • what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about the movement of Azerbaijani troops at the Armenian border.
  • what assessment they have made of the need for a border commission to determine the demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Poverty Prevention & Online Worship

On 21st June 2021, Andrew Selous MP, on behalf of the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:

Poverty

Jim Shannon MP (DUP, Strangford): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to (a) prevent and (b) relieve poverty.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about plans to build accessible homes

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on government plans to build accessible homes on 17th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, there is a real risk that the proposed changes to the planning process could mean that fewer accessible homes are built for older and disabled people. Research from the housing association Habinteg reveals that more than half of all local plans make no requirements for new homes to meet any accessible housing standard. Fewer accessible houses are being planned now compared with 2019. What plans do Her Majesty’s Government have to ensure that more homes are built to accessible and adaptable standards?

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Church Commissioner Questions -worship, choral singing, bereavement support, marriage, rewilding, tree planting, net zero targets, regenerative agriculture, Westminster Abbey

On 17th June 2021 MPs put questions to Andrew Selous MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner. Text of the oral and written answers is below.

Oral Questions


Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con): Whether the Church of England plans to support online and in-person communal worship as covid-19 restrictions are lifted. (901321)


The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous): The Church of England is strongly encouraging churches to support both in-person and online communal worship, and training has been given to thousands of clergy to enable this. It is up to local churches to decide how best to do this.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about skill-building for young people post pandemic

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on government efforts to help young people build skills and knowledge to ensure they are able to access careers following the COVID-19 pandemic on 16th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, during their working lives this generation will face the full implications of not only the Covid pandemic but the fourth industrial revolution and the need to transform our economy to net zero. Young people will need to build meaningful careers, not simply survive from gig to gig. Can the Minister therefore explain where strategic thinking is happening and where policies interlock to provide the skills, employment safeguards and quality jobs, linked to national priorities, which young people will need?

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Bishop of Leeds asks about online abuse of public representatives

The Bishop of Leeds tabled a question on the proliferation of online abuse of public representatives on 16th June 2021, raising issues of security and the need for regulation:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the fifth anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox MP, what assessment they have made of (1) the security needs of public representatives subjected to online abuse, and (2) the need for regulation to tackle such abuse.

Baroness Barran (Con): My Lords, I think that this is a very solemn day for all of us as we remember Jo Cox’s tragic murder five years ago. I am sure that the House joins me in acknowledging the courage of her sister, whatever our party affiliations, in standing as a candidate in the by-election in Jo’s former seat.

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Bishop of Leeds raises inconsistency of covid rules on singing in churches

On 15th June 2021 the House of Lords heard a repeat of a Government statement on covid-19 rules.

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, regardless of matters of hindsight, does the Minister agree that prolonging the restrictions might be justified for certain reasons? I do not demur from that, but the prolonging of inconsistencies is a serious impediment to public adherence to the rules. You do not have to look very far to see where the discipline broke down a long time ago. For example—this is not special pleading; it is just at the forefront of my mind—you can sing in a pub but not in a church. This is what brings the rules into disrepute, and therefore people do not agree with them.

Secondly, can the Minister say something in response to Michael Gove’s reported comments about acceptable death rates? We have learned to live with acceptable death rates from flu and other seasonal diseases. Will the Government do some work on what might be an acceptable death rate from Covid in future and be up-front with the country as to what that might be? I think we can take it.

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