Bishop of St Albans asks about hospice funding

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the funding of hospices on 19th November 2024, following a government statement on changes to National Insurance Contributions and their effects on healthcare:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: Can the noble Baroness help us understand the huge impact this is having on the hospice movement, which is an extraordinary sector? We get an incredible service from it but, ironically, while we are having a national debate on assisted dying—some of us prefer to call it assisted suicide—this will make it even more difficult to provide this much-valued service. Is there not a case to be made for special support for those independent hospices which have to raise massive amounts of money from charitable sources, so that we are not penalising them?

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Bishop of London asks about impact of diabetes on maternal mortality rate

On 19th November 2024, the Bishop of London asked a question on the impact of type 2 diabetes on the maternal mortality rate and the support available for women affected by this:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, women with type 2 diabetes face a higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal deaths and birth defects. As we have heard, women who live in areas of high deprivation as well as women who come from black and minority ethnic groups are more likely to be impacted by type 2 diabetes. This compounds the existing inequalities in the maternal mortality rate. What steps are the Government taking to support integrated care boards to build relationships with these women who are most likely to experience these impacts, to ensure that they have the best maternity care and diabetic care, including ensuring they have access to continuous glucose monitoring where necessary?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about migration and refugees

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 19th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many asylum liaison officers are currently in post in the Home Office, and whether there are any plans for further recruitment to support newly recognised refugees through the move-on process.

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Bishop of London asks about access to healthy foods for low-income families

The Bishop of London asked a question on access to healthy and nutritious food for low-income families on 18th November 2024, during a discussion on the cost effectiveness of anti-obesity drugs:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy independent review details the factors that impact on our ability to eat healthily. They include having the facilities at home to be able to prepare fresh food and having the time to do so; it is also about where you live. About 3.3 million people cannot reach any food store selling raw ingredients by public transport. When it comes to combating obesity, what steps are the Government taking to assist low-income families, in particular, with accessing healthy and nutritious meals?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about harms to mental health and wellbeing resulting from gambling

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 18th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling, published on 24 October, that the harms to health and wellbeing that result from gambling are more substantial than previously understood.

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Archbishop of Canterbury asks about conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The Archbishop of Canterbury received the following written answers on 18th November 2024:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the release of ethnic Armenians held in detention following Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about opportunities for young people in the North of England

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answers on 18th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government how many of the eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas will be located in the north of England.

Baroness Sherlock (Lab, DWP): The Government’s plan to Get Britain Working includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people in England aged 18-21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. More detail on the Youth Guarantee will be set out in the upcoming Get Britain Working White Paper.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about World Food Programme in Somalia

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 18th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any shortfalls in the funding of the World Food Programme in Somalia, and of any impact of such shortfalls on the Programme’s ability to provide assistance to those who need it in that country.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about monitoring of illegal sewage discharges

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 18th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that the Environment Agency is able to monitor and investigate illegal sewage discharges.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about use of soft power in the media

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the use of soft power via media outlets such as the BBC on 14th November 2024, during a discussion on the effectiveness of the BBC World Service:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, there is a tension here between having an independent BBC, which we are all grateful for—indeed, that is part of its integrity—and it being part of our strategic soft power. Could the noble Baroness tell us a little bit more about the strategic approach His Majesty’s Government are taking to thinking about the key places we need to engage with, not least in countering the deliberate disinformation coming from China and Russia, which is fundamental to the future of our democracies?

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