Bishop of Norwich asks about risks to the social care sector and clergy visas under new migration proposals

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question in response to a government statement on levels of migration to the UK on 5th December 2023, bringing up the potential risks to the social care sector under new migration proposals, and the issue of workers in faith communities facing new barriers to entering the UK:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I have three brief comments and questions. We know that there are 152,000 vacancies in social care in England, as reported by Skills for Care. This is of course a concern for the well-being of vulnerable people. The National Farmers’ Union reports a national shortage of 80,000 vacancies in the horticultural and agricultural sectors, but His Majesty’s Government estimate 40,000. This of course leads to a massive reduction in production and has an economic impact. As we know, this is further exacerbated in our rural communities. What conversations has the Minister had with these sectors about the risks inherent in their new policy?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about reports of Russian arms and goods being smuggled through Turkish ports

On 5th December 2023, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the government’s assessment of reports of Russians arms being smuggled through Turkish ports

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, could the Minister comment on his department’s assessment of reports that not only has Turkey vastly increased its trade with Russia but that Turkish ports are being used for arms smuggling and, in some cases, exporting dual-purpose goods into Russia, thereby helping Russia? I wonder what the assessment is, and what we might be able to do about that.

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Bishop of Worcester asks about funds for care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children

The Bishop of Worcester asked about funding for local authorities to support care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I join others in welcoming the Minister to his place. I note that Kent County Council announced last week that new arrival centres for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being planned in the area but that the council is waiting for funding from central government. As the Minister said, the right and best place for separated children is under local authority care. What is the timeline for the funding to be issued to support Kent County Council fulfilling its statutory duty, especially given that it is responsible for hundreds more children than the prescribed limit under the national distribution system? We do not want to return to the use of hotels.

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Bishop of Chelmsford tackling issues of mould and damp in social and privately rented accommodation

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to tackle the issue of damp and mould in homes with children in (1) the social rented sector, and (2) the private rented sector.

Baroness Penn (Con, Department for Levelling-up, Housing & Communities): Damp and mould can have a serious impact on children’s health and it is unacceptable for anyone to have to live in such conditions.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about number of children living in homes with damp and mould

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of children living in homes with damp; and the impact of damp and mould on children’s health in (1) 2021, and (2) 2022.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about effectiveness of CCTV to address fly tipping

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of CCTV in addressing fly tipping hotspots.

Lord Benyon (Con, DEFRA): Across two rounds of our fly-tipping grant scheme, we have awarded nearly £1.2 million to help more than 30 councils purchase equipment, such as CCTV, to tackle fly-tipping at known hot-spots.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about gaming related harms suffered by young people

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many children and young people were being treated by the NHS for addiction to video games or gaming disorder annually from 2015 to 2022.

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Immigration & Nationality Fees: Bishop of Chichester raises threat of increased levels of child poverty

On 4th December 2023, the Bishop of Chichester spoke in a debate on a motion to regret tabled by Baroness Lister on the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023, raising the potential impact the change in regulations would have on levels of child poverty:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, I am enormously grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for bringing this debate to us. I underline my great support for everything that she said, as well as what has been said in other contributions.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about combatting flood damage caused by climate change

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 4th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the damage caused by flooding following (1) Storm Babet, and (2) Storm Ciarán; and what steps they are taking to combat the increase in the frequency and severity of flooding caused by climate change.

Lord Benyon (Con, DEFRA): The Government acknowledges the devastating impact Storm Babet and Storm Ciarán have had on householders and businesses and sympathises with those affected.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about children’s social care reform

The Bishop of Manchester received the following written answers on 4th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase investment in early intervention and prevention as part of children’s social care reform.

Baroness Barran (Con, DfE): The government has invested billions in local services. This year alone, the total social care grant for local government is over £2 billion. In the ‘Stable Homes Built on Love’ Strategy, the department outlined its plans to build on the strengths of current early help and Child in Need services, through the creation of Family Help.

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