Bishop of Leicester asks about asylum accommodation in the UK

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government, in the light of the National Audit Office’s report Investigation into asylum accommodation, published on 20 March, which found that (1) using large sites to accommodate asylum seekers could cost £46 million more than using hotels, and (2) the Home Office rated their own plans as “high risk or undeliverable”, why the large sites accommodation programme will be continued.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about plastic surgery consultation

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish feedback to the Licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures consultation, which ran from 2 September to 28 October 2023.

Lord Markham (Con, DHSC): We are currently analysing the feedback received during the consultation, and intend to publish the Government’s response later in the spring.

Hansard

Bishop of St Albans asks about recent reports on unconscious bias training

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent research reported by The Times which suggests that unconscious bias training is not effective.

Baroness Barran (Con, DWE): This research is a welcome addition to the canon of research on the efficacy of diversity and inclusion (D&I) training.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about errors in immigration data systems

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in correcting the errors in the Person Centric Data Platform and Atlas system, which have led to the merging of different immigration records.

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Bishop of Worcester asks about humanitarian aid to Gaza and to Palestinian refugees

The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answers on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the humanitarian relief effort in Gaza and the West Bank of the decision to suspend aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about rising costs of rent

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 20 March showing an average increase in monthly rent paid by tenants in the UK of 9 per cent in the year ending in February, including an increase to 10.6 per cent in London to an average monthly rent of £2,035.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about risks associated with electric vehicles produced in China

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact upon national security of Chinese-made electric vehicles; and whether they plan to further investigate any risks that may arise.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church Schools, Carbon Emissions, Land Use, Ceremonies, and Service Attendance

On 12th April 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Church Schools: Hendon

Dr Matthew Offord MP (Con, Hendon): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution of church schools in Hendon constituency.

Andrew Selous MP (Con, South West Bedfordshire): Though the National Church Institutions are not responsible for the operation of individual schools, the Diocese of London has volunteered the following information, which I hope is useful.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about religious freedom in Myanmar

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answers on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the contribution made to aiding reconciliation by, and (2) the vulnerability of, religious groups in Myanmar.

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Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill: Bishop of Manchester expresses concerns over changes to charity financing

On 27th March 2024, the Bishop of Manchester spoke at the second reading of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, welcoming the legislation whilst expressing concern over its impact on those freeholders that are charities:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I begin by declaring my interests. I am no longer a church commissioner, as my time finished at the end of last year, but I am paid and—if the Lord spares me—will be pensioned by the Church Commissioners in due course. The commissioners are freeholders, not least of the Hyde Park Estate, which has been in continuous Church ownership and care since around the 11th century, when it belonged to the monks of Westminster Abbey. I guess, if I am going to echo a word that we have used several times today, that makes it genuinely feudal. I also own one leasehold flat in the West Midlands, as set out in the Members’ register.

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