Bishop of Coventry asks about treatment of religious minorities and non-governmental organisations in India

The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answers on 21st June 2023:

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

  •  what discussions they have had with the government of India on the importance of pluralism and human rights, including freedom of religion; and what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in India.
  • what discussions they have had with leaders from civil society in India on the status and experiences of religious minorities in that country.
Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about treatment of religious minorities and non-governmental organisations in India”

Bishop of London asks about reducing health inequalities

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 21st June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government what recent progress they have made towards reducing health inequalities; and what further steps they intend to take in the future.

Lord Markham (Con): The Government is committed to improving healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035 and reducing the gap between areas where it is highest and lowest by 2030, as stated in the Levelling Up White Paper.

Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about reducing health inequalities”

Bishop of St Albans asks about diagnoses of corticobasal degeneration in the past five years

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 21st June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many people were diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

Lord Markham (Con): The National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Services (NCARDRS) does not hold comprehensive data on corticobasal degeneration. Therefore, this this information is not available in the format requested.

Hansard

Bishop of St Albans asks about whistleblowing in the Civil Service & the Bank of England

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 21st June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many cases of whistleblowing were (1) reported, and (2) investigated, by the Civil Service in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, and (d) 2023 to date.

Baroness Neville Rolfe (Con): I refer the Noble Lord to my previous answers – HL7792 and HL8058 – provided in May 2023.

Hansard


The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many instances of whistleblowing there were to the Prudential Regulation Authority in each of the past four years.

Baroness Penn (Con): I refer the Noble Lord to my answer HL8060 on 5th June.

Hansard

Votes: Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill

On 20th June 2023, the House of Lords debated the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Continue reading “Votes: Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill”

Bishop of London asks about patient care and health inequalities

The Bishop of London received the following written answers on 20th June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government, further to The Hewitt Review: an independent review of integrated care systems, published on 4 April, what plans they have to implement the recommendation contained in that review to publish a strategy for the social care workforce.

Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about patient care and health inequalities”

Bishop of St Albans asks about research into neurological conditions

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 20th June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how much money they are directing annually to research the (1) causes, and (2) treatment, for corticobasal degeneration.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about research into neurological conditions”

British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich urges communication on legislation

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich spoke in a debate on the British Nationality (Regulation of Past Practice) Bill on 19th June 2023, requesting assurances from the government on their plans to expedite the intent and communication of the legislation once it had been passed:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: My Lords, I thank the Minister for his clear and helpful introduction. I do not wish to detain the House long in offering my full support for the Bill, which addresses a vital issue. I should declare half an interest: my wife is German, so we have dual nationality children. Obviously, they do not fall within the scope of this, but noble Lords will appreciate why I may be attracted to issues such as this. I wholeheartedly welcome the Bill and commend the Government for the proactive steps they have taken speedily to address this unusual technical issue within the existing legal framework.

Continue reading “British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich urges communication on legislation”

Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill: Bishop of Sheffield makes maiden speech supporting efforts to increase access to higher education

The Bishop of Sheffield made his maiden speech during a debate on the Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill on 19th June 2023, speaking on his experience in Sheffield Diocese and highlighting potential challenges in the implementation of the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak for the first time in this Chamber, and in support of this Bill’s aim of widening access to higher education. I look forward to hearing the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Sewell of Sanderstead. I record my thanks to Members and staff for the consistently warm and generous welcome I have received and the helpful induction I have been given. If my experience of introduction to this House is typical, it speaks very well of the culture of this place.

On Thursday, it will be exactly six years since I was consecrated as a bishop at York Minster and took up my present responsibilities. The wonderful diocese I serve is made up of former steel-making and coal-mining communities across much of south Yorkshire, farming communities in parts of the East Riding and even a port in the town of Goole. I had never lived in south Yorkshire before but have found the city of Sheffield astonishingly green—I believe it to be the only city in England with a national park within its boundary.

Continue reading “Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill: Bishop of Sheffield makes maiden speech supporting efforts to increase access to higher education”

Bishop of London asks about community healthcare models to tackle health inequality

On 19th June 2023, the Bishop of London tabled a question on reducing inequality of access to primary care using the Community Health Worker Model:

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the community health worker model in relation to reducing inequality of access to primary care.

Lord Evans of Rainow (Con): My Lords, the Government have made no formal assessment of the community health worker model. However, they are supporting the development of models like the Brazilian one through the additional roles reimbursement scheme. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment to recruit 26,000 additional primary care professionals a year ahead of the March 2024 target. Our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care will also create a more equitable approach, regardless of patients’ routes to access.

Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about community healthcare models to tackle health inequality”