Questions – Page 88 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Albans asks about sustainable farming and countryside stewardship programmes

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th April 2024:

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

when they will publish further information on the combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
when farmers will be able to apply for the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
when guidance for the Sustainable Farming Incentive online application portal will be set out.
when farmers in existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements can transfer to the new offer.
when the new Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship actions can be added to areas already in the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement, particularly in upland areas where the HLS agreement has a linked Upland Entry Level Stewardship agreement.

Bishop of Derby asks about racial bias in youth justice

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on steps to eliminate racial bias against gypsy, Roma and traveller children in the youth justice system on 25th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I hold responsibility in the Bishops’ prison team for children in the youth justice system, so my question arises not only from access to what I find to be quite disturbing data but also from direct contact with children in the justice system. What steps are His Majesty’s Government taking to eliminate racial bias, including in charging, against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children in the youth justice system, who are often hidden within official statistics?

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Slavery, Tree Planting, Churches in Cumbria & Lincolnshire, and Redundant Churches

On 25th April 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Church of England: Slavery

Dr Matthew Offord MP (Con, Hendon): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church plans to publicly acknowledge historic links with the chattel slave trade.

Andrew Selous MP (Con, South West Bedfordshire): The Archbishop of Canterbury has been unequivocal on the theology of this issue, noting on his visit to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana in February 2023:

Bishop of Leeds asks about funding of the BBC World Service

On 24th April 2024, the Bishop of Leeds asked a question on whether the government would consider taking back long term funding of the BBC World Service, rather than having the service funded through the licence fee:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I notice that the funding agreement with the FCDO runs only until April 2025, which is not very far ahead. Can the Minister tell us whether the Government are considering, at the very least, taking back full funding of the World Service in the longer term rather than leaving it to the licence fee?

Bishop of Leicester asks about assessing impact of the two-child limit

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 24th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 27 March (HL3520), why it is not possible to undertake a robust assessment of the impact of the two-child limit.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about proposed review of personal independence payments

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on how the government’s proposed review of personal independence payments (PIP) would affect those with severe lifelong disabilities on 23rd April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, yesterday I visited National Star, an FE college that serves young people with severe lifelong disabilities. Many of them are being subjected again and again to reassessment throughout their lives. That is not only traumatising but a complete waste of time and resources. What will the Government do to take this into consideration so that people with severe lifelong disabilities are not subjected to reassessment again and again, unless, of course, that disability is generative?

Bishop of Oxford asks about use of data in education

The Bishop of Oxford received the following written answers on 23rd April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they give third parties access to national pupil data or learner records, and whether they charge a fee for any such access.

Baroness Barran (Con, DfE): The department will only share pupil, or learner, level data with others where it is lawful, secure and ethical to do so. Where these conditions are met and data is shared, the department do not charge any fee.

Bishop of St Albans asks about possible surge in cases of prostate cancer

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 19th April 2024:

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

further to recent research conducted by the Lancet Commission, what steps they plan to take to address the projected surge in prostate cancer cases.
what plans they have to expand public awareness campaigns for prostate cancer, following the prediction by the Lancet Commission of a surge in cases.
what assessment they have made of the Lancet Commission on prostate cancer, published 4 April 2024.
what plans they have to use artificial intelligence systems to support the diagnosis of prostate cancer, as recommended by the Lancet Commission in research published on 4 April.

Bishop of Leeds tables question on ceasefire in Sudan

The Bishop of Leeds tabled a question on UK efforts to support an immediate ceasefire in Sudan on 18th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council, to support an immediate ceasefire in Sudan to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and regional destabilisation.

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