Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Bristol asks about faith literacy when tackling domestic abuse

The Bishop of Bristol asked a question on equipping those tackling domestic abuse to understand faith contexts on 19th January 2021, following a government statement on Domestic Abuse and Hidden Harms during Lockdown:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol [V]: My Lords, I, too, express my thanks to the Government for their work on domestic abuse issues, particularly following the announcement of “Ask for Ani”. However, as the Minister will know, there are certain issues that particularly impact minority ethnic groups and people of faith. Will the Government look to take on the recommendations of the Keeping the Faith report and seek to increase faith literacy within secular bodies so that they are equipped to respond to particular harms found within a faith context?

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Bishop of Bristol asks about visas for touring musicians

The Bishop of Bristol asked a question on the costs of visas for musicians performing in the UK on 19th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, senior musicians I spoke to this weekend described experiences of agonising paperwork and fees, and sense that foreign promoters are already hesitant to offer engagements to UK groups. How do the Government intend to ensure that the increased costs associated with obtaining permits and administrating these tours will not, as a result, exclude all but the most privileged?

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Mental health, Armenia, gambling, Ethiopia

On 18th January 2021 in the House of Lords the Bishop of Bristol asked a question about mental health, the Bishop of Coventry asked about Armenian heritage.

Meanwhile the Bishop of St Albans and the Archbishop of York received written answers to questions on gambling-related harm and Ethiopia.

Full text below.

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Vaccines for developing world, poverty in the pandemic, devolution and Ethiopia  

In the House of Lords on 14th January 2021 the Bishop of St Albans received written answers to questions on vaccines for developing countries and the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia while the Bishop of Durham received answers to questions on the recent updated report by the Child Poverty Action Group and the Church of England on Poverty in the pandemic.
Meanwhile in the Chamber, the Bishop of Birmingham raised the issue of devolution in England with the Government during Lord Young’s Oral question about the formation of a Constitution, Democracy and Human Rights Commission. Text below:

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‘Spycops’ and gambling related harm

In the House of Lords on 13th January 2021 the Bishop of Durham spoke during the debate on the Covert Human Intelligence Bill and the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on support for those living with gambling-related harm. Details below:

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Bishop of Birmingham asks about impact of economic pandemic recovery

On 12th January 2021, the Bishop of Birmingham asked a question on the future impact of economic recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Birmingham [V]: I am grateful for the much-appreciated provisions made by the Chancellor so far in this extreme crisis and for his honesty in outlining the significant harm already caused to the economy by the pandemic. Will the Minister reassure the House that, following these emergency measures, many of which have been outlined just now, there are plans and policies already being formed for a recovery? Would he indicate some of the economic and social principles that the Government will be applying in leading the recovery? In addition to the question from the noble Lord, Lord Balfe, will the inevitable need to rebalance the public finances not unfairly burden the poorest?

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Bishop of Manchester asks about risks of COVID-19 to the homeless

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the risks of COVID-19 and the need to prioritise vaccination of the homeless on 11th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester [V]: I thank the Minister for his replies to date and for his personal commitment to tackling homelessness in this country. He has already referred to the fact that many homeless people are at high risk of respiratory disease, including coronavirus. Will he encourage Her Majesty’s Government to prioritise the vaccination of all homeless people as a cohort, including those who do not fall neatly into one of the existing priority groups?

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Bishop of Durham asks about universal credit and support for low income families

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 11th January 2021:

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

  • what key (1) economic, and (2) health, indicators they plan to use to inform their planned assessment of how best to support low-income families; and whether such any such assessment will include determining whether to make the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent.
  • what is the timeline for their assessment of (1) how best to support low-income families, and (2) whether to make the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent.
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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Charitable Donations, Church Commissioners Land, Religious Buildings, Planning Permission

On 8th January 2021 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Andrew Selous MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Charitable Donations

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP (Con, The Cotswolds): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church of England has made of the potential merits of establishing an app to enable contactless donations to be given via a QR code in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.

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Bishop of Durham asks about reducing rates of COVID-19 in schools

On 7th January 2021, the Bishop of Durham asked about methods of reducing rates of COVID-19 in schools, following a government statement on the impact of the pandemic on educational settings:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: I declare my interests as chair of the National Society. I thank the Minister for the Statement and the commitment on the delivery of laptops and 4G to children. Some schools are reporting over two-thirds attendance today, due to children of key workers and vulnerable children. This runs counter to the policy of children staying at home as much as possible and, as such, is seen by school staff as highly risky to them. I have been in touch with a number of them just this afternoon with regard to this. What proportion of school attendance do Her Majesty’s Government think is needed to reduce schools’ role as a virus vector, and what more can be done to enable more vulnerable children to learn from home where hardware and 4G are the issue?

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