Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 16th June 2026:
The Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support businesses with (1) accessing climate information, (2) adaptation planning, and (3) managing the health of employees during extreme weather.
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On 15th June 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:
James Cleverley MP (Con, Braintree): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the Answer of 20 March 2026, to Question 118770, on Church of England: Council Tax, if she will publish a copy of the high-level assessment.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Clergy Housing”The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 15th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan to mandate climate adaptation measures in urban planning.
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The Bishop of Sheffield asked a question about the role of faith charters in fostering understanding and mutual respect in communities during a discussion on antisemitism on 11th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, last autumn, Sheffield City Council entered into a faith and belief charter with local faith leaders, setting out our expectations of one another for mutual respect and kindness. Yesterday, I spoke to a rabbi who observed that antisemitism inevitably increases in seasons when society is more divided and polarised, and decreases when the culture of our common life is kind. Does the Minister agree with me that faith charters, such as the one in Sheffield, play a vital role in fostering precisely the virtues of kindness and mutual respect that counter the evil of antisemitism, among other things?
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The Bishop of Sheffield tabled a question on the timeline for the publication of the evaluation report of the 56-day move-on period pilot for those granted refugee status on 10th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty’s Government what is the timeline for the publication of the evaluation report of the 56-day move-on period pilot for those granted refugee status.
My Lords, in begging leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, I declare my interest as a patron of the ASSIST charity in Sheffield.
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab, Home Office): My Lords, the Home Office commissioned an evaluation of the 56-day move-on period, which has now been completed, following the pilot concluded earlier this year. The final report, by happy coincidence, was published on 10 June and is available to read online.
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about move-on period for refugees”The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 10th June 2026:
The Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce heat-related deaths during heat waves in the UK.
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The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for care leavers following a government statement on reform of children’s social care on 8th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, from these Benches, I also warmly welcome what is in the strategy. Enabling children in care to sustain or make long-lasting relationships is absolutely crucial. When it comes to the lifelong relationship ceremonies, we on these Benches are certainly very interested in looking at what can be done to effect that. My question has come out of the work I did on my Private Member’s Bill for care leavers in the last Session. So many care leavers need to move from one local authority area to another, perhaps to maintain those relationships or to rebuild a relationship with a sibling, yet what traditionally happens is that the authority they have left washes its hands of them and the authority they land in considers it has no responsibility because they were never in care in that authority. What will the Government do to ensure that, where young people move from one authority area to another after they have just left care, they do not fall through the net any longer?
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester responds to government statement on children’s social care”
The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the housing needs of young people with mental health concerns and other issues in need of support, during a discussion on affordable housing for young people on 8th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, young people under 35 who require support for their housing get only the shared accommodation rate of benefits, yet they are often disproportionately the people who have mental health concerns or other issues. Does the Minister agree that this needs looking into to ensure that the most vulnerable young people are not the ones who are pushed to the bottom of the housing situation?
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The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 5th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to facilitate (1) humanitarian aid delivery, and (2) the safe passage of civilians, in South Kivu’s Hauts Plateaux in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a Grand Committee debate on the possibility of a cross-sector AI regulation bill on 4th June 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, on securing this debate. Given the pace of AI development, it could not be more timely. As Pope Leo said in his recent encyclical:
“Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible”.
Continue reading “Bishop of Hereford takes part in debate on regulation of artificial intelligence”
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