Bishop of Leeds Responds to Statement on Hillsborough

Bp Leeds June 2015On 27th April 2016, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon repeated a statement on the inquest into the Hillsborough disaster made by the Home Secretary in the House of Commons. The Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, asked a follow up question:


The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I declare an interest because I come from Liverpool and most of my family still live there. My grandmother lived on Anfield Road at the time of the tragedy—no one in Liverpool was so remote that they did not know someone who was affected by it. People who have not been recognised in the comments so far are those such as Steven Gerrard and Rafa Benitez, who gave huge amounts of money to support families and did so without expectation of gratitude or publicity. Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds Responds to Statement on Hillsborough”

Bishop of Leeds asks Government about prospects of Iraq acceding to Rome Statute of International Criminal Court

BpLeeds2On 27th April 2016 the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, received a written answer to a question about whether the Iraqi government will ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 5 April (HL7331), what is their assessment of the prospect of the government of Iraq acceding to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court [HL7709] Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds asks Government about prospects of Iraq acceding to Rome Statute of International Criminal Court”

Bishop of Bristol asks Government about regulation of the drone market in the UK

Bristol160226 cOn 27th April 2016 the Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Michael Hill, received a written answer to a question on whether the Government will regulate the private drone market in the UK.

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the need to regulate or license the private drone market in the UK. [HL7729] Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks Government about regulation of the drone market in the UK”

Bishop of Leeds asks Government about support for victims of Daesh and recording of atrocities

LeedsOn 26th April 2016 the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, received answers to two written questions about support to victims of Daesh and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s committee on genocide and committee on mass graves:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 5 April (HL7332), what financial assistance they have given to human rights defenders in Iraq to improve victim support and case documentation of sexual violence committed by Daesh. [HL7706] Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds asks Government about support for victims of Daesh and recording of atrocities”

Bishop of Southwarks asks Government about humanitarian aid to Iraq

Bp Southwark May 2015On 26th April 2016 the Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, received a written answer to a question on humanitarian aid to Iraq:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Verma on 1 April (HL7307), what steps they are taking with their international allies and partners to redress the financial shortfall in humanitarian assistance to Iraq. [HL7710] Continue reading “Bishop of Southwarks asks Government about humanitarian aid to Iraq”

Bishop of Leeds seeks Government assurances over future of Bradford’s National Media Museum

LeedsOn 25th April 2016 Lord Stevenson of Balmacara asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the closures of regional museums, particularly in the North of England, and the impact of those closures on the United Kingdom’s creative industry and on the educational services provided to local schools and colleges.” The Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, if the rhetoric about the northern powerhouse is to have any reality behind it, it has to include access to culture and cultural developments. In the light of that, will the Minister give an assurance that the sword of Damocles hanging over the National Media Museum in Bradford might at last be lifted? Sometimes up there it feels as if London is saying, “Out, damned spot!”. Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds seeks Government assurances over future of Bradford’s National Media Museum”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about support for prisoners at risk of suicide

StAlbans171115On 25th April 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on support for those at risk of suicide in prison:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent increases in the number of non-natural deaths in prisons; and what plans they have to improve mental health support for those in prison who are at risk of suicide. [HL7466] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about support for prisoners at risk of suicide”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about Daesh, Iraq and international humanitarian law

Bp Coventry May 2015On 22nd April 2016 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received answers to three written questions of Government on the actions of Daesh and the Iraqi Government and international humanitarian law:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with other members of the UN Security Council about referring the actions of Daesh against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq to the International Criminal Court for further investigation. [HL7548] Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about Daesh, Iraq and international humanitarian law”

Bishop of Southwark asks Government about support for removal of mines in areas liberated from Daesh control

Bp Southwark May 2015On 21st April 2016 Baroness Mobarik asked Her Majesty’s Government “how many Iraqi troops British forces are expected to help train this year to fight Daesh.” The Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, having recently returned from a visit to Iraqi Kurdistan under the auspices of Christian Aid, I ask whether due consideration has been given to the fight against Daesh to the extent that it must involve support for the removal of mines and explosive devices. Many millions are still in situ in the places that are being liberated. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks Government about support for removal of mines in areas liberated from Daesh control”

Archbishop asks Government about peace-building and reconciliation in Burundi

On the 20th and 21st April 2016 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, received three written answers to questions he had tabled to Government about peace-building and reconciliation in Burundi. This followed his recent visit to the country.

Archbishop of CanterburyThe Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, in his efforts to mediate in Burundi.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK strongly supports the East African Community-led dialogue; it is crucial to finding a sustainable political solution in Burundi. We welcome their decision to appoint the former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, as Facilitator of the Burundi Dialogue. Continue reading “Archbishop asks Government about peace-building and reconciliation in Burundi”