Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of London advocates for assessment of cuts to development aid

On 26th February 2025, the Bishop of London responded to a government statement on defence spending, urging that an assessment take place to identify the risks posed by cuts to development aid:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I refer to my entry in the register of interests: I am the chair of Christian Aid. I am very privileged to follow the noble Lord, Lord Fowler, because I think we need to reject this false choice between defence spending and development spending. They are not competing priorities. This is not just about reputation. Properly used development funding helps to prevent conflict. It tackles instability and provides a greater and more just world. We have heard the concern that cutting aid in this way risks exacerbating instability and leads to conflict. Will the Government not just make an assessment of the outcomes of this cut in funding but make a proper assessment about the risk of increased insecurity, instability and conflict as a result of the cut?

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Bishop of London asks about reducing health inequalities

The Bishop of London asked a question on building partnerships with faith and community groups to address health inequalities on 26th February 2025, following a discussion on incorporating chiropractors into national musculoskeletal health prevention strategies:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, according to the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance report on health inequalities and deprivation, an important way to reduce health inequalities in these conditions, particularly in those groups of people who are underserved, is to help them to manage their own conditions. Often it is much harder because they often have more than one complex condition; often they are much more complex and are picked up much later. One of the recommendations was around moving NHS care into the community. Could the Minister tell us what the Government are doing to encourage the NHS to build partnerships with community groups, including faith groups, to seek to reduce inequalities in these conditions and communities?

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Bishop of Norwich asks about climate and environment targets

On 26th February 2025, the Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what progress has been made towards meeting the statutory environmental target of 16.5 per cent tree cover in England by 2050.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about lung cancer in non-smokers

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 25th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of people diagnosed with lung cancer over the past five years who have never smoked.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about potential closure of farm shops

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 25th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Farm Retail Association forecasts that more than 700 farm shops could close in the coming decade.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about prevention of reoffending in domestic abuse cases

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on interventions to prevent reoffending among those convicted of domestic abuse on 24th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what programmes and interventions are used to reduce re-offending among domestic abusers in the community; and what are the re-offending rates of those who participate.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about disappearance of civil society activist in Laos

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 24th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to raise the case of civil society activist Sombath Somphone at the UN’s fourth Universal Periodic Review of Laos on 29 April.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about climate change, biodiversity, and the environment

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 24th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Economic Forum’s top two global risks over the next ten years, namely extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, and biodiversity loss.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about affordable housing in rural areas

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 24th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to continue funding the work of rural housing enablers in facilitating affordable housing in rural areas.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about food security

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 24th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what consideration they have given to introducing a “Food Security and Resilience Act”, as recommended in the National Preparedness Commission executive summary report Just in case: 7 steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap, published in January.
  • whether they will take steps to treat food security as a core component of national infrastructure planning, as recommended in the National Preparedness Commission executive summary report Just in Case: 7 steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap, published in January.
  • what consideration they have given to establishing an advisory body to provide advice on food security, as recommended in the National Preparedness Commission executive summary report Just in Case: 7 steps to narrow the UK civil food resilience gap, published in January.
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