Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
On 24th September 2015 the Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, received a written answer to a question for Government about the labelling of products from Israeli settlements.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made in securing a European Union decision on the labelling of products from Israeli settlements.
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure humanitarian access to civilian communities in Iraq in need of aid who are caught up in the fighting.
On 24th September 2015 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received written answers to questions of Government on attacks on church property in Israel and the funding of Christian schools.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the number of “price tag” attacks on church property in Israel.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We condemn all extremist violence, including those attacks against religious buildings. Whilst most ‘price tag’ attacks have taken place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, we are aware that on 18 June the Benedictine Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha, on the Sea of Galilee, was set on fire and vandalised with graffiti. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this at the time with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and National Security Council. Continue reading “Israel: Bishop of Coventry asks Government about attacks on church property and the funding of Christian schools”
On 24th September 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question of Government about the proposed independent investigation of Sharia law in Britain.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the undertaking by the Home Secretary, made in a speech on 23 March, to set up an independent investigation into the application of Shari’a law in Britain will be fulfilled; and when that investigation is expected to report.
On 21st September 2015 the Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, received answers to two written questions on the impact of the separation barrier on prospects for an Israel/Palestine two-state solution:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the viability of a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine following the decision to resume construction of the separation barrier in Beir Ona, near the Cremisan Valley. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks Government about impact of the separation barrier on a two-state solution for Israel/Palestine”
On 17th September 2015 Lord Naseby asked the Government “what new proposals they have to support independent high street retailers, particularly in the light of the increasing cost of business rates”. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, while I am grateful for the support Her Majesty’s Government are giving to independent retailers, it seems extraordinary that they are doing so at a time when they are talking about deregulating further Sunday trading hours, which many insiders in the industry believe will give huge commercial advantage both to the large supermarkets and to out-of-town shopping centres. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans questions Government on impact of Sunday trading changes on small shops”
On 17th September 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to three written questions, about the Government’s statistical use of the rural-urban classification, the Government’s response to the Independent Rural Proofing Implementation Review and access to the Rural Services Delivery Grant. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about adoption of the rural-urban classification”
On 16th September 2015 Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered a written question from Mark Hendrick MP about regulations relating to graveyards in Blackburn Diocese.
Mr Mark Hendrick: [9765] To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which Church of England dioceses have published regulations on monuments on burial plots and inscriptions on gravestones; which dioceses (a) allow and (b) do not allow nicknames on gravestones; which dioceses allow monuments; which dioceses (i) allow and (ii) do not allow pictorial etchings on gravestones; and which dioceses (A) allow and (B) do not allow freestanding containers on burial plots. Continue reading “Gravestones and monuments – written answer”
On 16th September 2015 Lord Green of Deddington asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the scope for those currently claiming asylum in other European Union member states subsequently to move on to the United Kingdom’. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a supplementary question.
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, does the Minister think that the current European regulations are working, and indeed workable, in the face of the sheer volume of people who are seeking to migrate?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks if European migration rules are working”
On 15th September 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to five written questions: on the threat to farmers of Mycoplasma Bovis, and on the financial provisions for upland farmers.
Lord Bishop of St Albans:
(1) To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evaluated the potential risk of Mycoplasma bovis to the national dairy herd and to milk production; and if not, whether they plan to do so, and within what timescale. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises threat of Mycoplasma Bovis and questions provisions for upland farmers”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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