The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Leeds asks about pandemic preparedness

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on whether the government has established a communications plan in the event of another pandemic, during a discussion on pandemic preparedness on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, do the Government have a pre-prepared communications plan for the eventuality of another pandemic—which could be next week, next year or whatever—so that it is not made up on the hoof? We remember that, in 2016, there was a big exercise in London which was forgotten about when we got to the actual pandemic. Are those provisions being put in now and preparations being made?

Bishop of St Albans asks about mental health of young people in the UK

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 the report by Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network World Happiness Report, published on 20 March; in particular, the finding that the happiness of young people under the age of 30 in the UK has declined.

Bishop of Southwark asks about use of weapons manufactured in the UK in Israel-Gaza conflict

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

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked what steps they are taking to ensure that weapons manufactured in the UK and sold under export licences are not being used to commit or facilitate violations of international human law in Gaza and in contravention of the Arms Trade Treaty ratified by the UK on 2 April 2014.

Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of the agricultural transition on food production and farm business viability

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 whether they will undertake an assessment of the impact of the agricultural transition on food production and farm business viability.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about housing conditions for asylum seekers

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

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

following the publication of their rough sleeping statistics on 29 February which showed a 965.91 per cent increase from July to December 2023 in people sleeping rough after leaving asylum support over the previous 85 days, what consideration they have given to extending the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days for refugees leaving asylum support; and what assessment they have made of the impact this extension would have on homelessness.
what assessment they have made of the benefits of staggering evictions of refugees from Home Office accommodation, particularly where the person is working with their local authority or a third sector organisation, to prevent their homelessness.
what plans they have to work with the third sector to jointly create a comprehensive and properly funded transition process for people whose asylum support is due to end, to enable information and support around housing and benefits to be given as far in advance as possible.

Bishop of Leicester asks about parental leave and paternity pay

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

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what proportion of new fathers have taken (1) their full statutory paternity leave entitlement, and (2) shared parental leave, in each year since 2017.

Bishop of St Albans asks about effect of period poverty on the economy

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 value lost to the economy through period inequity, as set out in the report, The State of Period Equity in the UK, published by In Kind Direct on 29 February.

Bishop of St Albans asks about effects of drug shortages caused by exiting the EU

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

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made, if any, of how many preventable hospitalisations have occurred as a result of medication shortages caused by Brexit.

Lord Markham (Con, DHSC): The medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global. Supply disruption is an issue which affects the United Kingdom as well as the other countries around the world, and it can have a variety of causes, including manufacturing issues, problems with access to raw ingredients, and sudden spikes in demand.

Bishop of St Albans asks about proliferation of organised crime in rural areas

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

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the National Rural Crime Network’s report Rural Crime: Serious, Organised and International, published on 10 March.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): We welcome the National Rural Crime Network’s report and will consider its recommendations.

Bishop of Southwark asks about ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza

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

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken, together with allies, to persuade those holding Israeli citizens hostage in Gaza to release them without delay.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK Government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages. The Foreign Secretary met with hostage families on 18 March, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to see the release of all hostages.

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