Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the productivity of businesses where employees work a permanent four-day working week.
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The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on social, ethnic, and religious barriers preventing those in disadvantaged areas from seeking cancer treatment on 10th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, a year ago this very afternoon, this very moment, I was in a surgery having a radical prostatectomy. I pay tribute to Professor Vasdev and his amazing team at Lister Hospital for the exceptional treatment I received. He is one of many fabulous people working in our NHS. The discrepancies, though, of diagnosis and treatment are stark in different parts of the country. Having worked in some of the more disadvantaged areas in the past, I am acutely aware of those. What are His Majesty’s Government’s going to do, as the plan is developed, to ensure that we look at the religious, social and ethnic barriers which are stopping groups coming forward to receive diagnosis and treatment? Will they particularly focus on how we can address these to try to support those in the most disadvantaged parts of our country?
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The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the issue of supplying aid and medical supplies to hospitals in Gaza on 10th February 2025, following a repeat of a Commons Statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: Reports coming out of the country show the desperate need to get not only aid but medical supplies there. I pay tribute to His Majesty’s Government for all that they have done so far, but the issue is how we get aid and medical supplies in. In particular, reports are coming out that the Anglican-run al-Ahli Hospital is in a desperate state. What else can His Majesty’s Government do to ensure that we get medicine and supplies in there and to other medical facilities?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about supply of aid and medical equipment to Gaza”The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on improving and building public trust in AI, during a discussion on introducing legislation for regulation of artificial intelligence on 10th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, according to the Government’s own recent survey, 43% of the public trust that the impact of AI will be positive, but 33% believe it will be negative. Given this very narrow gap and the critical importance of building trust in embracing new technologies, what specific steps are the Government planning to take to improve that public trust as they embed AI in the nation’s most trusted institutions, not least in the NHS?
Continue reading “Bishop of Oxford asks about improving public trust in artificial intelligence”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 7th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of a pair of beavers to the River Glaven in Norfolk in 2022 on (1) water pollution, and (2) flood risk.
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The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the need to protect Christian communities in Syria during a discussion on the current transition period in the Syrian government on 6th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, Syria is home to some of the oldest and most significant Christian churches in the world, although Christians now number only 2.5% of Syria’s population. Although small in number, they see themselves as an integral part of the people of Syria and its identity. In view of this, will the Minister ensure that policy and statements about Syria robustly identify its Christian communities and history as an important part of its identity and life and in need of special protection, rather than simply being assimilated as Syrians defined as citizens of the state?
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On 6th February 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Churches: Tourism
Blake Stephenson MP (Con, Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to support the tourism industry.
Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): Churches, cathedrals and other historic sites are at the heart of England’s cultural and spiritual heritage, attracting millions of visitors annually.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Tourism, Christianity, Religious Freedom”On 5th February 2025, the House of Lords debated the Data (Use and Access) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on the impact of changes to school fees on armed forces personnel on 5th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, as the father of a soldier, I am particularly interested in this topic, particularly where both parents are serving in the Armed Forces, often in different locations. What assessment has the Minister made of confidence in the Armed Forces covenant with this change?
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about confidence in the Armed Forces Covenant”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments; and what plans they have to restrict their use.
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The Church of England in Parliament 
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