Questions – Page 58 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asks about armed forces accommodation

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich received the following written answer on 11th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asked His Majesty’s Government:

what assessment they have made of the progress made over the last 18 months in improving the maintenance of the accommodation of military personnel.
what plans they have to ensure that armed forces accommodation is sufficiently prepared for winter.
what progress they have made regarding the ownership and upgrading of married accommodation for serving personnel.

Bishop of St Albans asks about tackling rural crime

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on initiatives to tackle rural crime on 10th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I congratulate His Majesty’s Government on the laudable aim of increasing the number of police and others in front-line services. As I travel around Beds and Herts, I hear that there are plans for cuts in policing. This is at a time when in rural areas there is a fear of rural crime, which I do not think will be addressed by what will predominantly be allocation in urban areas. It is very real; there is a lot of fear and huge costs, particularly to our farming community. What can His Majesty’s Government do to build on the success of initiatives such as Operation Ragwort, which worked across counties? It made a significant improvement without huge additional cost.

Bishop of Leeds asks about support for arts and creative industries

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on facilitation of touring in Europe for young people involved in creative industries and the arts on 10th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I know many people in the creative sector who are worried about the generational impact of this issue. We have already heard the phrase “plan for change”, but this generation is losing the vital experience not only of performing abroad or doing whatever they do but of the business of getting there in the first place. We are hearing that the Government are working hard and that it is a priority, but is there a timeline? For many of those people, that matters.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about effects of changes to inheritance tax and financing on agriculture

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 10th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

what consultation they undertook with the farming sector prior to the proposal to change agricultural property relief.
whether they intend to publish the evidence used to inform their decision to change agricultural property relief, and their reasoning.
what assessment they have made of the impact that the change to agricultural property relief will have on (1) investment in new technology for existing farming businesses, (2) food supply to the market should existing farmers leave the sector, and (3) encouraging new entrants and young farmers to start farming.

Bishop of Sheffield asks about funding inequalities in further education

The Bishop of Sheffield asked a question on addressing funding inequalities for students aged 14-16 in further education colleges on 9th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, FE college enrolments of 14 to 16 year-olds have surged by nearly one-third in the past four years, according to a recent study by the Association of Colleges, with over half consistently from the two most deprived quintiles. These students, however, mostly on vocational courses, do not have the same access to transport funding and free meals as their counterparts in schools. Can the Minister outline what steps the Government will take to address this very basic inequality?

Bishop of Gloucester asks about issue of radon gas levels at Dartmoor Prison

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 9th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked his Majesty’s Government:

what estimate they have made of the cost of tackling radon gas levels at HMP Dartmoor.
when HMP Dartmoor will return to its full operational capacity following the detection of radon gas.
what assessment they have made of the number of prisoners affected by (1) elevated radon gas readings at HMP Dartmoor, and (2) the subsequent closure of that prison in July.

Bishop of Lincoln asks about child poverty

The Bishop of Lincoln received the following written answer on 6th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce legally binding, time-constrained targets to eliminate child poverty as part of the Child Poverty Strategy.

Archbishop of Canterbury asks about financial support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russian invasion and for the UK armed forces

The Archbishop of Canterbury asked a question on financial support for those battling the Russian invasion of Ukraine and for the UK’s own armed forces on 5th December 2024:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I have made two visits to Ukraine, one earlier this year, and many of my colleagues have visited as well. Having seen the very sharp deterioration in civilian morale, we know that external support from the NATO powers, particularly the United Kingdom, makes a significant difference. We are seeing the northern NATO countries not only giving verbal support but actively preparing for the risk of conflict in order to deter it. The situation on the ground will not wait for the SDR. What steps are the Government taking to indicate, by their actions as well as by their words, ahead of the SDR, that we are deeply committed financially to the support of Ukraine, not only by giving weapons but by renewing our Armed Forces?

Bishop of London asks about leadership in heathcare

The Bishop of London asked a question on leadership and productivity in the healthcare service on 5th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, productivity is now often spoken of in relation to the National Health Service, which the Minister mentioned in his Answer to the Question. The Health Foundation looked at NHS productivity and identified maintaining morale and motivating the workforce as key to it. Alongside essential things such as targets, what effort are the Government making to continue softer leadership, including listening to the workforce and fostering good industrial relations?

Bishop of Lincoln asks about rate of teaching turnover in special needs education

The Bishop of Lincoln received the following written answer on 4th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address teacher burnout and turnover in special education schools due to low pay and temporary contracts.

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