Bishop of St Albans draws attention to repercussions of climate change in the Horn of Africa

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on the effects of climate change on migration on 14th September 2023, drawing particular attention to the food and water security crisis in the Horn of Africa:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, for securing this debate, for his excellent and comprehensive introduction and particularly for setting out so clearly some of the work undertaken by international bodies. I will not repeat any of that, because he spelt that out very clearly for us. As he noted, the climate crisis is at the heart of famines, conflicts and food insecurity across the globe today. We have already seen the disastrous effects of climate change in many parts of the developing world.

I want to focus on a few thoughts, particularly on the Horn of Africa, where we see this perhaps most clearly at the moment. Indeed, a terrible natural humanitarian disaster is unfolding before our very eyes, with thousands now fleeing the region in search of food security and water. It is vital to develop an effective strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the developing world. The Horn of Africa is currently facing a climate-induced drought and a serious food crisis affecting more than 36 million people, more than half of whom are children. UNICEF estimates that up to 5.7 million children need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about long-term strategy for supporting interfaith relations in UK

The Bishop of Leicester spoke in a debate on the Abraham Accords between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain and what steps the UK the government will take to ensure the success of the Accords on 14th September 2023, emphasising the need for supporting communication between faith communities in the UK as well as abroad:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Polak, for securing this short debate and my admiration and gratitude to all those who have supported and championed the Abraham accords all across the Middle East and beyond. They are truly an historic achievement, and I applaud the courage of all those who seek to bring peace to this long-troubled region. I add my thoughts and indeed prayers for the people of Morocco as well.

Noble Lords have already mentioned a number of reasons for why the accords are so significant for the region as well as for the UK. I wish to add to this debate my observation that, at the same time as supporting peace efforts in the Middle East itself, we must be proactive in addressing the tensions which conflict in the Middle East can cause here in the UK. We saw an example of this during the May 2021 Gaza conflict, when there was a steep increase in hate crimes committed against both Muslims and Jews in this country. We cannot presume, therefore, that peaceful coexistence between Jewish and Muslim communities will come about automatically in the UK simply because we are at a geographical remove from the Middle East. It is by no means impossible, but it does not come of its own accord.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about effect of cuts to overseas aid on Sudan

On 14th September 2023, the Bishop of Leeds asked a question about the affect of cuts in overseas development aid on UK partnership with Sudan, in light of the ongoing conflict there:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I have a particular concern about Sudan. The conflict there has now fallen off the media headlines. The cuts in overseas development aid have made a big impact there. What will partnership look like in the light of those cuts? We hope that they will one day be restored. Secondly, how are the UK’s diplomatic efforts in Sudan being reinforced at a time of greatest need?

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Bishop of Southwark asks about recent report on poverty levels

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 14th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Poverty Strategy Commission’s interim report A New Framework for Tackling Poverty, published on 5 September, and in particular the recommendations that a net rise in benefit awards by 5 per cent would reduce numbers in poverty by 725,000 and a net rise in earnings wound reduce poverty by 515,000.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about safeguards for whistle-blowers in the NHS

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 14th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what safeguards exist to protect whistle-blowers in the NHS.

Lord Markham (Con, Department of Health and Social Care): Workers who blow the whistle are entitled to protections, which were introduced through the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

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Bishop of Durham asks about freezing of local housing allowance

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 14th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on families of freezing local housing allowance rates for the past three years.

Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con, DWP): No Assessment has been made, however the department works closely with stakeholders, Jobcentres and Local Authorities to understand the impact of its policies on families.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) policy is kept under regular review and rates are reviewed annually by the Secretary of State. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas.

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Bishop of London asks about costs for hospitals affected by weakened concrete structures

The Bishop of London asked a question she had tabled on costs of ensuring the safety of NHS sites affected by reinforced autoclaved concrete (RAAC), on 13th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to support NHS trusts with the cost of ensuring hospital sites are safe until reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete can be removed.

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Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill

On 13th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the Report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the Bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of St Albans asks about numbers of doctors and nurses leaving the NHS in recent years

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 13th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many (1) doctors, and (2) nurses, left the NHS in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, and (d) 2022.

Lord Markham (Con, Department of Health and Social Care): The table below shows the published data on the leaver rates as a percentage and the number of doctors and nurses & health visitors who have left active service in National Health Service trusts and core organisations, for each annual period 2019 to 2022.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Schools, Clergy, Community Relations, Engagement, Closures, and Repairs & Maintenance

On 12th September 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Julian Knight MP (Ind, Solihull): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to collaborate with local schools and educational institutions to promote positive values and to engage with students and educators.

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