Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Durham asks about housing for asylum seekers

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum seekers they have asked (1) Mears, (2) Serco, and (3) Clearsprings Ready Homes, to provide accommodation for as part of Operation Oak.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con, Home Office): We currently have c8100 people in hotels, with our providers working to procure sufficient accommodation across the UK to exit contingency accommodation and maintain a business as usual operation thereafter.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about issues faced by the Anglican Church in Egypt

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of freedom of religion or belief in Egypt.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, FCDO): The UK welcomes the positive steps taken by the Government of Egypt in recent years, including President Sisi’s public commitment to upholding the rights of minorities and freedom of worship, as well as the protections for freedom of religion enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. We were also encouraged by the opening of the Middle East’s largest cathedral in Egypt in 2019.

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Bishop of London asks about assessments of patients opting out of surgery

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the breakdown by (1) protected characteristic, and (2) socio-economic background, of the patients who choose to opt out of surgery following the waiting list validation process.

Lord Bethell (Con, DHSC): No formal assessment has been made. Data on protected characteristics and socio-economic background is not collected centrally.

Hansard

Bishop of London asks about funding for pupil referral units

The Bishop of London asked a question on use of funding to alleviate staff and support pressures in pupil referral units on 22nd April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, we welcome the increased level of catch-up funding for pupil referral units, but will the Minister tell the House how the Government will ensure that the funding alleviates the pressure on staff and students that they faced during the pandemic?

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Church Commissioners Written Answers

On 22nd April 2021, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Luke Pollard MP (Lab, Plymouth, Sutton & Devonport): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending licences for trail hunting on land owned by the Church; and if he will make a statement.

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Bishop of London asks about development of community kitchens to combat obesity

The Bishop of London asked a question on the potential for school kitchens to be used as community kitchens to tackle obesity in underserved areas on 21st April 2021, during a debate on reported correlations between obesity rates and COVID-19 deaths:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the reduced use of school space during lockdown highlighted an opportunity for us to make use of school kitchens as community kitchens. This holds real potential for addressing multiple issues such as poverty, obesity, lack of food or loneliness, all at one time. Will the Government consider supporting school kitchens to become community kitchens when not in use by students in order to tackle obesity in underserved neighbourhoods where people often have limited choices in their nutritional options?

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Bishop of London asks about steps to ensure deprived communities are not unduly effected by COVID-19

During a discussion on COVID-19 on 20th April 2021, the Bishop of London asked a question on the difficulties of addressing the effects of COVID-19 in deprived communities, particularly in regards to vaccines:

The Lord Bishop of London: I am sure the Minister knows that those from deprived communities are more likely to catch Covid-19, be admitted to ITU and to die from the disease. They are also less likely to take up a vaccination. Could the Minister update us on action by the Government to ensure that Covid-19 does not continue to be a disease of poverty?

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Votes: Fire Safety Bill

On 20th April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of London asks about costs of wedding celebrations

The Bishop of London asked a question on the growth of expensive wedding celebrations on 20th April 2021, during a discussion marking National Marriage Week:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I certainly commend National Marriage Week to this House, especially as one of the themes this year is that a wedding does not have to be an expensive extravaganza. The fees for a church wedding or a simple registry office ceremony are very modest indeed, but the wedding industry is busily ramping up expectations of what a special day should involve. How will Her Majesty’s Government work to encourage couples to understand that marriage itself matters far more than the commercial trappings of a wedding day?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about links between gambling and early mortality

The Bishop of St Albans tabled a question on reported links between gambling and early mortality on 20th April 2021, querying whether the government planned to transfer responsibility for gambling policy to the Department of Health and Social Care:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the research by Dr Naomi Muggleton linking gambling and early mortality, published in Nature Human Behaviour on 4 February, what plans they have to transfer responsibility for gambling policy to the Department of Health and Social Care.

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