Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Chester speaks during question time on dog licensing

On 16th December 2014, Lord Hoyle asked Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to reintroduce a dog licensing fee. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a supplementary question:

14.03 Bishop of ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I am one of those who wear a dog collar in this House—and for the privilege of doing so I have to be licensed. But as far as I am aware, no fees have been paid. Might I suggest that enough is enough?

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate (Non-Afl): My Lords, the right reverend Prelate has stolen my thunder, in a sense. I was going to ask: because of the increasing number of dangerous dog incidents, would it not be worth having a look at licensing the owners? Continue reading “Bishop of Chester speaks during question time on dog licensing”

Bishop of St Albans – Underage Marriage (Written Answer)

On 16th December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on under-age marriages.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect girls who come to the United Kingdom already in under-age marriages. [HL3558]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): Local authorities, with the help of other organisations as appropriate, have a duty to make enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. A belief that a girl may have been involved in an under-age marriage should lead to such an assessment.

Where a local authority encounters concerns about a child’s welfare that constitute, or may constitute, an offence against a child, social workers should discuss the case with the police at the earliest opportunity. Offences may have been committed by the girl’s parents, or by her ‘husband’. Legislation that came into force earlier in 2014 means that forced marriage is now a criminal offence. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans – Underage Marriage (Written Answer)”

Archbishop of York highlights risks to financial stability of higher education system

On 15th December 2014, Lord Sharkey asked Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the Higher Education Commission’s report Too Good to Fail: The Financial Sustainability of Higher Education in England. The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev. and the Rt Hon. John Sentamu, asked a supplementary question:

Archbishop of YorkThe Archbishop of York: My Lords, will the noble Baroness tell us how, in the light of this report, she hopes to mitigate the risks to financial sustainability? Those are very big risks. Can she tell us how she will mitigate them? Forget the canoes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: My Lords, the Government have asked HEFCE to monitor this situation, particularly in the light of the cap being lifted in 2016. That is a very important point.

(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of St Albans calls on Government to take up recommendations of hunger report

Bishop of St AlbansOn 11th December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Food Poverty’s recent report, Feeding Britain. A full transcript of the exchange is reproduced below:
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, this report is a serious contribution to an important and wide-ranging debate, which recognises the multiple factors behind demand for emergency food assistance. As a country, we have enough food to go round. We agree that it is wrong that anyone should go hungry at the same time as surplus food is going to waste. There is a moral argument, as well as a sustainability one, to ensure that we make the best use of our resources.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans calls on Government to take up recommendations of hunger report”

Church Commissioner Questions – Bats, Buildings, Elections

During the regular slot for questions to the Church Commissioners in the House of Commons on 11th December 2014, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, was asked about maintenance of cathedrals, church repairs, bat damage in churches and general election hustings. A full transcript is below.

Church Commissioners

14.01 CCQ BaldryThe right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—

English Cathedrals (Maintenance)

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): [Question:] What representations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for maintenance of the fabric of English cathedrals that are older than 500 years. Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions – Bats, Buildings, Elections”

Bishop of St Albans presses Government on child poverty strategy (Written Answer)

On 11th December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer from the Department for Work and Pensions to two written questions on child poverty.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have carried out any forecasts of the level of child poverty between now and 2020; and if so, whether they will be made public.[HL3230]

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have calculated the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit policy changes announced to date since May 2010.[HL3231] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans presses Government on child poverty strategy (Written Answer)”

Bishop of St Albans – Forced Marriage (Written Answer)

On 10th December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on the subject of forced marriage.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will clarify the role of teachers in monitoring girls at risk of being forced into under-age marriage. [HL3494]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Nash): All school staff have a responsibility to identify children who may be in need of extra help or who are suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm. All staff then have a responsibility to take appropriate action, working with other services as required. Those responsibilities, which apply to the risk of forced marriage as to any other form of abuse, are set out in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ statutory guidance for schools and their staff which the Government published in April 2014. [1] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans – Forced Marriage (Written Answer)”

Bishop of Chester calls for clarity on mesothelioma research funding

On 9th December 2014, Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty’s Government, following the decision of the High Court that the consultation on mesothelioma legal fees was unlawful, and the lack of new funding for mesothelioma research, what is their policy with regard to combating mesothelioma and supporting victims. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a supplementary question:

14.03 Bishop of ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I encourage the Minister to answer the first part of the Question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Alton, about why the percentage of the precept was reduced from the promised 3% to 2.2%.
Lord Faulks: The position with insurers is that they have provided money. I will have to write to both noble Lords and the right reverend Prelate about what has happened to that particular sum. The question of the use of research funds is difficult. We think that research funds should be spent in the most effective way, and we think that publicly funding research is much more appropriate than hypothecating against insurers’ particular sums.
(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of Derby commends recommendations of Children’s Commission on Poverty

On 8th December 2014, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of child poverty on children’s early years educational development. The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, has the Minister heard of the report At What Cost? produced by the Children’s Commission on Poverty, which is a group of young people supported by the Children’s Society? If the Minister has come across the report, what will the Government do about the recommendations in it?
Lord Nash: Again, I am afraid that I will have to write to the right reverend Prelate on that matter.
(via Parliament.uk)

 

Bishop of St Albans receives written answer on international violence against women convention

On 8th December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what date they expect that departments and the devolved administrations will have completed their consideration of extra-territorial jurisdiction in respect of offences established in accordance with the Istanbul Convention.[HL3233]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Faulks): This government takes its international obligations very seriously. That is why we signed the Istanbul Convention on 8 June 2012, to show our strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.

The UK has some of the most robust laws in the world against violence towards women and girls. We have criminalised forced marriage but primary legislation will also be needed to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before it can be ratified.

Justice Ministers are currently considering the extent to which we need to amend the criminal law of England and Wales for compliance with Article 44 prior to ratification of the Convention.

Any changes necessary to the criminal law in Scotland and Northern Ireland prior to ratification are matters for the devolved administrations. We will consult Ministers in the devolved administrations about whether legislative changes in England and Wales should extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

(via Parliament.uk)