Category: Questions

Oral & written questions in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Leicester asks about staffing levels in Jobcentres

The Bishop of Leicester tabled a question on staffing levels within Jobcentres on 23rd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the staffing levels within Job Centres.

Baroness Sherlock (Lab, DWP): My Lords, DWP monitors demand for jobcentre support on an ongoing basis and has well-established workforce planning systems to make sure that we have the right people in the right place at the right time. These systems help us to prioritise jobcentre activities where needed, protecting our most effective interventions and making sure that we maintain a constant focus on getting people into work, while remaining within funding limits and providing value for money.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about freedom of religion provisions in trade agreements

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 23rd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure human rights provisions on freedom of religion or belief have been included in the Free Trade Agreement with India.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about support for faith communities addressing safeguarding concerns

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on government support for faith communities in addressing safeguarding concerns on 22nd October 2025, during a discussion on a Commons Urgent Question on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, the Church of England has in recent years been forced to face up to our own, significant failures in the areas of safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. We were far too slow to realise the devastating impact of safeguarding when it goes wrong, and we are even now struggling to put in place appropriate ways of ensuring accountability and of being led by survivors. Can the Minister therefore tell me what the Government are doing to support all faith communities in addressing safeguarding, to go beyond simply the requirements of the Charity Commission and to show that no group is above the law when it comes to safeguarding?

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Bishop of Norwich asks about support for Road Victims Trust

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on support for Road Victims Trust, a charity supporting families affected by drink-drivers and drug-drivers on 22nd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, the Road Victims Trust does very important work in supporting those families that are affected by drink-drivers and drug-drivers. It is a charity that relies mostly on public donations. What could the Minister do to encourage police and crime commissioners to support the work of the Road Victims Trust through their grant-making?

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Votes: Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill

On 21st October 2025, the House of Lords debated the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which bishops took part:

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about regional transportation

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question about investment in regional transport in the UK on 21st October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, in the north-east we rejoice at the success of the reinstated Northumberland line, linking Ashington to Newcastle, which has seen over 700,000 journeys since the line was reopened last December. However, the route struggles with a lack of carriages, and the company would like to put more trains on. Can I ask the Minister whether the strategy will seek to prioritise regions in our country which have traditionally been underinvested in, so as to fast-forward the economic growth the Government so desire?

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Bishop of Leicester asks about universal credit review

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 21st October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 22 July (HL9231), when their review on Universal Credit will be published.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about ethics in neurotechnology

The Bishop of Oxford received the following written answer on 20th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will work with international partners to ensure that the proposed Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization upholds (1) international human rights standards, including safeguards for equity, mental integrity and privacy, (2) the precautionary principle, and (3) protections for children and other vulnerable groups.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about publication of the government’s child poverty strategy

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 20th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the child poverty strategy.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about provision of medical supplies in Gaza

The Bishop of Sheffield asked a question on the need to ensure financial support and medical supplies reach the Anglican Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on 16th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, from these Benches, I join others in expressing deep appreciation and thanks to the Lord Speaker for his service to this House and assure him of our continued support in the coming months. Noble Lords may be aware that efforts are under way to rebuild the Al-Ahli hospital, managed by the Anglican diocese of Jerusalem. It remains the only hospital in operation in the north of Gaza, but most of its buildings are in ruins following multiple airstrikes earlier this year. Hospital staff have remained in place throughout the conflict. They are now in urgent need of medical supplies to continue to deliver life-saving treatment. I ask the Minister to bring her influence urgently to bear to ensure that financial support and medical supplies reach the hospital so that it can continue to serve the people of north Gaza.

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