Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
On 13th May, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, received a written answer from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: HL3522 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of any decision by the government of Israel to unilaterally annex part of the West Bank after 1 July on the viability of a two-state solution.
On 13th May, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, received a written answer from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on Israeli Settlements in the West Bank.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: HL3523 To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 13 February (HL1282), what steps they intend to take in response to the government of Israel’s actions should it unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank.
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On 13th May, the Rt Revd Tim Dakin, Bishop of Winchester, received a written answer from Lord Callanan on university finance.
The Lord Bishop of Winchester: HL4052 To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the announcement on 4 May of the support package for higher education providers as a result of the impact of COVID-19, what criteria they will use to provide research funding for universities; and how they will ensure (1) accessibility of the funding to a wide range of universities, and (2) diversity of institutional provision.
On 13th May, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans, received a written answer from Lord Bethell on the procurement of dairy products for the NHS.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: HL3809 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of dairy bought by the NHS in England in each of the last 12 months that was produced by UK dairy farmers.
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On 13th May, the Rt Revd John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, received a written answer from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on the Government’s assessment of the restriction of journalism abroad.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: HL3569 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which countries have used COVID-19 as a pretext to introduce restrictive measures against independent media outlets and to arrest and intimidate journalists for providing critical coverage of the relevant government’s COVID-19 response.
On 13th May, the Rt Revd John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, received a written answer from Baroness Sugg on financial assistant the Government has given to the UN COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: HL3570 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial assistance they (1) have made, and (2) intend to make, to the United Nations COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan.
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On 13th May, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, received a written answer from Lord Agnew of Oulton on the debt of developing countries.
Bishop of Leeds: HL3475 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure private creditors comply with the agreement reached by G20 leaders on 15 April to suspend debt payments owed by 77 of the world’s poorest countries, in particular those debts that fall under UK jurisdiction.
On 12th May the Government made a statement on their strategy for tackling COVID-19. The Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, asked a follow up question, focusing on recognising the importance of spiritual, social and mental well-being.
Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, language matters. Loose language and sloppy images hinder, rather than help. We need to continue to suppress the coronavirus—learn to coexist with it—as eradication is a long way off. Does the Leader agree that any recovery road map must recognise and speak of the importance of spiritual, social and mental well-being, as much as physical and economic health? Will she guarantee that this will be the case as phases 2 and 3 are developed?
On 12th May 2020 Baroness Massey of Darwen asked the Government “what assessment they have made of the ability of schools to deliver the new compulsory elements of relationships and sex education curriculum from September 2020”. The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a follow up question:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as stated in the register as chair of the National Society. In November, the Church of England produced a charter to support schools in preparing for the new compulsory elements of RSHE. It is important to us and our schools that we consult parents on how best to deliver this new material, to ensure that we provide a sensitive education enabling all pupils to flourish. Will Her Majesty’s Government reassess the delivery date of the new elements of RSHE to accommodate the current constraints on schools’ time and energy due to Covid-19?
On 12th May the House of Lords debated a Private Notice Question from Lord Berkeley on the safety of passengers who have to use public transport to travel to and from work. The Rt Revd Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans, asked a question about infrequent services in rural areas.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, as well as issues of safety when using public transport, many people in rural areas are worried that the already infrequent services in the countryside are now at further risk. What are Her Majesty’s Government doing to ensure that public transport will be maintained to support communities and the economy in rural areas?
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