Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Newcastle asks about COVID-19 resuscitation orders

On 24th March 2021, Bishop of Newcastle tabled a question on a report from the Care Quality Commission on decisions relating to resuscitation orders for care home residents and those with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Care Quality Commission Protect, respect, connect—decisions about living and dying well during COVID-19, published on 18 March, on decisions about the use of ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ orders for (1) care home residents, and (2) people with learning disabilities, during the pandemic.

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Bishop of London asks about using Church land to build affordable housing

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 24th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report by the Commission of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on Housing, Church and Community Coming Home: Tackling the housing crisis together, published on 21 February, and (2) proposals to use church-owned land to build affordable housing developments; and what plans they have (a) to review existing charity law, (b) to extend the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, and (c) to amend other relevant legislation, to allow for land to be used for charitable purposes without a requirement for financial gain.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about housing for older and disabled people

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 24th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to meet the housing needs of (1) older, and (2) disabled, people.

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Bishop of Portsmouth asks about impact of cuts to the Armed Forces

The Bishop of Portsmouth asked a question on the potential negative impact of cuts to the size of the Armed Forces on 23rd March 2021, following a government statement on the Integrated Review: Defence Command Paper:

The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, there is much to be welcomed in the defence Command Paper and the integrated review. As the Bishop of Portsmouth, I particularly welcome the ambitious signals to British shipbuilding for the Navy. However, I worry that, noting the tilt to the Indo-Pacific and expansion of Britain’s geographical scope into Africa, the integrated review does not suggest reducing the UK Government’s commitments anywhere, yet the proposed cuts to the Armed Forces mean the smallest full-time Army for centuries. Size is not everything, but are we asking too much of the Armed Forces? Do we risk overstretch? We seem to be gaining commitments, while failing to resource the resolution of existing challenges. Can the Minister indicate how the Government intend to flesh out their order of priorities?

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about investment in the North of England

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on the government’s assessment of a report on investment in the North of England on 23rd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle [V]: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Centre for Policy Studies A Northern Big Bang: Unleashing Investment in the North, published on 14 February.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con, DHCLG): The Government welcome the contribution made by the Centre for Policy Studies report. Levelling up the north of England is a key priority for this Government, and the coronavirus crisis has made it more important than ever that the Government continue to drive forward progress on our promise to deliver real, positive change in the north.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about tackling offensive material on social media

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on development of a code of practice for tackling offensive online content on 23rd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, the requirement to love our neighbours as ourselves makes practical demands of our online behaviour: not only what is posted but also what is endorsed, what is given the oxygen of repetition and what is tolerated. The digital common good is threatened from both sides: by those who post racist and offensive material and by some social media sites that craft algorithms to curate, propagate and perpetuate in order to maximise income. So will the Government give urgent consideration to implementing a code of practice for both hate crime and wider legal harms, perhaps along the lines of the model code that Carnegie UK and a number of other civil society organisations, including my office, recently co-drafted?

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Bishop of Durham asks about immigration detention facilities

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 23rd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans, if any, they have for an immigration centre for women on the former site of Hassockfield Secure Training Centre.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about impact of COVID-19 on the prison system

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the impact of COVID-19 on the UK prison system and on the welfare of prisoners on 22nd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester [V]: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the (1) welfare, (2) rehabilitation, (3) sentence management, and (4) mental health, of prisoners.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about accessible housing

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish a summary of responses to their Raising accessibility standards for new homes consultation, which closed on 1 December 2020.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con, MHCLG): The Government response to the consultation on raising accessibility standards for new homes will be published later this year and it will include a summary of responses.

Hansard

Bishop of Southwark asks about human rights in the Philippines

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 22nd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked  Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the human rights situation in the Philippines, and (2) the impact of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic Act No. 11479) on human rights in the Philippines.

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