Questions – Page 216 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Durham asks about investment in rail services in the north-east of England

On 15th July 2021, the Bishop of Durham asked a question on government plans to improve rail services in the north-east of England, following a discussion on frequency of services on the east coast mainline network:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare an interest as a regular LNER user. I have a lot of sympathy with the noble Lord, Lord Beith. I recognise that connections from Darlington, Durham and Newcastle are northwards as well as southwards. Will the Minister comment on how local services such as those from Bishop Auckland to Middlesbrough and the possible reopening of Durham to Sunderland need to be invested in for the economic growth of the north-east as a whole?

Church Commissioners Written Answer – Vision and Strategy

Question for Church Commissioners, UIN 31286, tabled on 12 July 2021

Michael Fabricant, (Conservative, Lichfield): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the article by the Revd Marcus Walker, Rector of the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, London, entitled, Is this the last chance to save the Church of England, published in the Spectator on 10 July 2021, what assessment the Church has made of the implications for its policies of the (a) findings of Revd Walker and (b) potential merits of proposals to create 10,000 new lay-led churches in the next 10 years in private homes and public halls.

Bishop of London asks about data on long-COVID

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 15th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to collect, and (2) to report, data on the number of people affected by long-COVID alongside the data on hospitalisations and death.

Bishop of Worcester asks about cuts to overseas development aid

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on cuts to the UK’s overseas development aid, with particular regard to the impact on recipients of aid and on our leadership in international development, on 14th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, the Chancellor’s Statement published on Monday finally outlined the meaning of the much-repeated but undefined government line that 0.7% aid spending would be restored when the fiscal situation allows. Will the Minister accept that to many working in the field of international development, these criteria point to a permanent rather than a temporary cut in overseas development, which in any case was due to change and has changed because it is a percentage of gross national income? Does the Minister recognise that this decision represents a terrible sentence, probably of death, for thousands of children and risks doing untold reputational damage to Britain’s leadership in international development?

Bishop of Chichester asks about National Lottery Heritage Fund

On 14th July 2021, the Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the abolition of the National Lottery Heritage grant for church buildings:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, will the Minister undertake to review the abolition of the HLF grant for places of worship, which has resulted in congregations without financial resources finding it much harder to compete for maintenance and development funding? The effect of abolition has been profoundly demoralising for small rural communities and areas of deprivation in coastal towns, such as Hastings, where the church building can be a source of local pride and community cohesion but is in danger of falling into disrepair and representing a sense of abandonment by local and national government.

Bishop of St Albans asks about access to healthy food for children in low income households

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on access to healthy food for children in low income households on 13th July 2021, following a question on support for people receiving universal credit:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am saddened to hear about the phasing out of the £20 uplift in universal credit. Her Majesty’s Government have made a very positive step towards tackling childhood obesity with plans to ban junk food adverts before 9 pm but there is a clear link between poverty and obesity, particularly where financial constraints make cheap, high-calorie food more affordable than healthy alternatives. How then do the Government aim to improve access to healthy food for those on universal credit?

Bishop of Worcester asks about conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia

The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answers on 13th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that soldiers from Eritrea are using food as a weapon of war in Tigray.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The Government is deeply concerned about the grave humanitarian situation in Ethiopia and combatants, including Eritrean armed forces, denying access to humanitarian agencies.

Bishop of St Albans asks about fraudulent marriage certificates

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 13th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the black market for counterfeit marriage certificates following the changes to marriage certification.

Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con, Home Office): Marriage certificates are secure stock which contain a number of security features that help to prevent and detect counterfeits. Controls are in place to identify and investigate any unusual activity.

Bishop of Durham asks about EU settlement scheme

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 13th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government whether European Economic Area nationals who apply late to the EU Settlement Scheme will be permitted to have the right to work and rent while their applications are pending.

Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con, Home Office): From 1 July, right to work and right to rent checks will change and EEA citizens will be required to demonstrate eligibility through evidence of their immigration status, rather than their nationality.

Bishop of Chichester asks about safety of e-scooters

The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the safety of e-scooters on 12th July 2021, during a discussion on tackling illegal riding of the scooters:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, e-scooters represent one of the dangers to cyclists in ever-increasing number using the cycle lanes. Will the Minister consequently ensure that consideration of a ban of e-scooters might include consideration of a cycle lane code, like the Highway Code, for greater safety of users?

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