Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
On 14th September 2015, The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked the Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of the United Kingdom’s food supply. He then asked a supplementary question about the provision of financial relief for farmers.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of the United Kingdom’s food supply. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about sustainability of UK food supply”
On 14th of September 2015 Lord Dubs asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in tax credits on middle- and lower-income working people’. The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, asked a supplementary question about the impact the proposed cuts would have on children.
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, bearing in mind that two-thirds of children who live in poverty are in in-work families, how will the Government monitor the impact of the proposed changes? In particular, will they review the exclusion of income-based measures from the suite of life chances indicators being brought in?
Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth asks Government about impact of tax credit cuts”
On 10th September 2015 Caroline Spelman, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered two oral questions in the House of Commons,on climate Change and open and sustainable churches.
Climate Change
Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab): What steps the Church Commissioners are taking to support the Church of England’s international efforts to tackle climate change. [901256]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Mrs Caroline Spelman): The Church of England, along with the wider Anglican Communion, is actively tacking climate change in four ways: assessing its investment strategy and, where necessary, divesting in the context of our climate change policy; actively engaging with public policy; attending the forthcoming Paris conference; and encouraging its parishes to reduce their carbon footprint and their parishioners to do the same. Continue reading “Church Commissioners’ questions – climate change and open church buildings”
On the 10th of September 2015 Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, answered five written questions from members of the House of Commons, about metal theft, closed churches and food banks.
The following two were grouped together:
On the 10th September 2015 Caroline Spelman MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, asked Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss about churches providing access to rural broadband.
Rt Hon. Caroline Spelman 
(Meriden) (Con): The Churches are keen to offer their buildings to help address better rural broadband provision. Would the Secretary of State be willing to convene a roundtable of interested dioceses and suppliers to share the findings of the rural superfast broadband pilots? Continue reading “Churches’ role in helping rural broadband provision”
On the 10th September 2015 Baroness Tyler of Enfield asked the Government what plans they have to tackle the variations in health outcomes across the country for children aged under five. The Bishop of St Albans asked a supplementary question about the impact access to health services have on children in rural areas
On the 10th September 2015 Baroness Sherlock asked the government what plans they have to review the operation of sanctions on benefits. The Bishop of Peterborough, Rt Revd. Donald Allister, asked a supplementary question about the impact the cost of travel has on people in rural areas when they are required to attend appointments at JobCentre Plus.
The Lord Bishop of Peterborough: My Lords, the Feeding Britain report showed that some people have been sanctioned for missing or being late for appointments when it is not their own fault. Is it not possible for the staff at Jobcentre Plus to be given some discretion in whether or not to apply sanctions? Along the same lines, is it fair that some people in rural communities have to spend £7 or more on bus fares to get to routine appointments when the likes of me, who can well afford bus fares, are entitled to a free bus pass?
Continue reading “Bishop of Peterborough asks the Government about benefits sanctions”
On the 9th September 2015 Lord Lexden asked a question to the Government about why they have no plans to amend the Civil Partnership Act 2004 to enable siblings to register as civil partners. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster asked a short supplementary question as a point of clarification.
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, can the Minister confirm what I think I heard her say—that the change in the inheritance arrangements for married people and civil partners, which will enable an exemption from inheritance tax, actually applies to siblings as well? That is not how I understood the changes to apply. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks for clarification from Government over civil partnership and inheritance tax”
On the 7th September 2015 the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby, responded to the Prime Minister’s statement about Syrian refugees and counter-terrorism, which had been repeated in the House of Lords by Baroness Stowell.
The Archbishop of Canterbury: I warmly welcome this start in the response of domestic hospitality, which comes in addition to the very considerable work that we have done overseas through the overseas aid budget and the work of the Royal Navy. It is on that basis that, challenged by this, the churches, starting this morning, are working urgently to add to what they have already been doing locally, and to work together to achieve and support a coherent, compassionate and credible public policy.
Continue reading “Archbishop of Canterbury responds to Government statement on Syrian refugees”
On the 7th September 2015 Lord Sharkey asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the thematic review Quality of Debt Management Advice published by the Financial Conduct Authority in June 2015′. The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith asked a supplementary question.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, given that the FCA report discovered that not-for-profit organisations were better at giving impartial debt advice, will the Minister tell us what plans Her Majesty’s Government have to ensure that those organisations have sufficient funding to be able to offer that service to the 8.8 million people in the UK who are in need of debt management advice? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks government about support for not-for-profit debt management advice services”
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.