Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
On Tuesday 7th July 2015 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written response to a question on Indonesia.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the government of Indonesia in its efforts to provide greater legislative protection for freedom of religion or belief in that country. [HL861] Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about freedom of religion or belief in Indonesia”
On Tuesday 7th July the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written reply to a question on Burma.
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Myanmar concerning the Population Control Health Care Law and how it can be implemented in a nondiscriminatory way. [HL864]
Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about human rights and religious tolerance in Burma”
On the 6th July 2015 Baroness Wheatcroft asked Her Majesty’s Government “whether the effects of algorithmic trading are being monitored and sufficiently regulated”. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster asked a supplementary question.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks question on rules for share ownership”
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 Lord Forsyth of Drumlean asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘whether they plan to establish a Constitutional Convention to consider the implications of devolution for each part of the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to publish a white paper setting out the consequences for the rest of the United Kingdom of fiscal autonomy for Scotland’. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Minister would have picked up concern on every side of the House on this particular issues and I, along with a number of Members on this Bench, share that concern. In principle we would like to explore the possibility of a constitutional convention. The pastoral letter that the bishops issued earlier this year stated:
“The impatience of politicians or the desire for party advantage must not be the driver for constitutional change”.
If we are not going to have a constitutional convention, how do Her Majesty’s Government intend to involve as many as possible of those people who are passionate to be involved in this so that together we can think carefully about the vital question of the future governance of the UK?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans for a constitutional convention”
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question to Government about reopening rural rail lines.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence recently published in the Campaign to Protect Rural England report Rural Reconnections: The social benefits of rail reopening.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about potential benefits of reopening rural rail lines”
On 30th June 2015 the Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nick Holtam, received a written answer to a question on the Government’s future climate finance plans.
The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to address the issue of climate finance at the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change conference in Paris; and whether they plan to commit the United Kingdom to budgeting for climate finance arrangements up to 2020. [HL656] Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury asks Government about commitment to climate finance over next five years”
On 29th June 2015 the House of Lords heard the Leader of the House repeat a statement by the Prime Minister on the terrorist attacks in Tunisia. In questions to the Leader after the statement, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, focused on the need to strengthen community relations in the UK.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, we, too, on these Benches send our sympathies to those who have been bereaved and those who are injured. It is deeply concerning that Tunisia, a relatively peaceful haven in a part of the world in which there are many tensions, has now had this attack. Does the Minister agree that it calls for a renewed emphasis on working to strengthen community relations here in this country? The danger is that the events from Tunisia, Kuwait, Kobani and France could inflame ethnic and other violence and inspire copycat attacks here in this country. Continue reading “Tunisia terror attacks – Bishop of St Albans calls for community relations to be strengthened at home”
On 29th June 2015 Lord Touhig asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Access to Work fund and what plans they have to help people with disabilities into work.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question about the impact on deaf people of the cap on Access to Work grants.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, perhaps I may press the Minister a little about the very real concerns of many people in the deaf community about the use of British Sign Language, not least because currently four-fifths of the highest-value awards are paying for BSL services. Indeed, the DWP’s own figures show that almost 90% of the users who will be affected by the cap that is to be brought in are deaf. How do the Government plan to continue to support and encourage deaf professionals on a par with the hearing community in the light of this cap? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises concerns of deaf people about cap on Access to Work fund”
On 25th June 2015 the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, followed a Ministerial statement on child poverty by asking a question of Government about children going hungry during school holidays.
The Lord Bishop of Durham: Will the Minister recognise that across the country, churches and other organisations reckon that they will be providing more help for holiday hunger this summer than ever before because of children going hungry during school holidays? Will she also recognise that there is a serious problem regionally and that we need to tackle this in the north more significantly than in the south? Continue reading “Bishop of Durham tells Peers churches will be dealing with more children going hungry during school holidays”
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