Bishop of St Albans asks about British citizen imprisoned in China

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to (1) the government of China, and (2) the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, about British citizen Jimmy Lai.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about relations with Israel

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 17th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what response they have received from the government of Israel regarding the joint call that they and diplomatic representatives from 16 other countries made on the 13 March to reverse the eviction of six Palestinian families from Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah, and the Old City of Jerusalem.

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Bishop of Exeter asks about horticultural exports

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked His Majesty’s Government what was the total amount of exports from the horticultural sector in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, and (5) 2022.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about migration trends in the Horn of Africa

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent trends in population migration in the Horn of Africa, given the famine in that region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Con): Across East Africa levels of displacement are increasing due to the humanitarian impacts of conflict and climate change. For example, the International Organisation for Migration estimate that, in 2022, 2.8 million people were displaced by drought across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Armed violence continues to cause significant displacement including of 2.2 million refugees from South Sudan who are currently hosted in the region.

Hansard

Bishop of St Albans asks about teaching of financial literacy in schools

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote financial literacy in schools.

Baroness Barran (Con): Education on financial matters helps to ensure that young people are prepared to manage their money well, make sound financial decisions and know where to seek further information when needed.

Finance education forms part of the citizenship National Curriculum, at Key Stages 3 and 4, but can be taught by all schools at all Key Stages. The subject covers the functions and uses of money, the importance of personal budgeting, money management, and managing financial risk. At secondary school, pupils are taught about income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about energy relief for businesses

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide energy bill relief for businesses.

Lord Callanan (Con): The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), worth £7.3billion, provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses are protected from high energy costs this winter period.

Following a review of the EBRS, a new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) starts on 1 April 2023, and all eligible non-domestic customers, except for those experiencing low energy costs, will automatically receive a per unit discount on their bills of up to £19.61/MW for electricity, and £6.97/MW for gas.

Hansard

Bishop of Manchester asks about energy bills for those living on boats

The Bishop of Manchester received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will provide fuel support to those living on licensed boats with no permanent mooring, many of whom are on low incomes or pensioners.

Lord Callanan (Con): The Government is keen to support these households living on licensed boats with no permanent mooring and to ensure that they can receive the Alternative Fuel Payment via the Alternative Fund where eligible. We are currently working to find an acceptable method for these households to provide proof of eligibility, whilst protecting public funds, so they can claim the Alternative Fuel Payment via the Alternative Fund.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about report on domestic abuse

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

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

  • when they plan to publish their response to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report Safety before status: the solutions, which was due in February.
  • what assessment has been made of the recommendations in the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s second report into migrant survivors, Safety before status: the solutions, published on 13 December 2022.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con): Tackling violence against women and girls is a government priority. We are committed to supporting victims of abuse, regardless of their immigration status.

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Bishop of Exeter asks about greenhouse gas emissions associated with dairy farming

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage dairy farmers to undertake a Greenhouse Gas Protocol audit.

Lord Benyon (Con): In the Net Zero Growth Plan, we have committed to developing a harmonised approach to measuring carbon on farms and will set out how we will support farmers to undertake carbon audits by 2024.

Hansard

Bishop of St Albans asks about reduction of crime in rural areas

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th April 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of installing tracking devices on farm machinery to reduce rural crime.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con): The Government is committed to driving down rural crime. Whether someone lives in the countryside or a town or city they should get the same high-quality service from the police if they fall victim to a crime.

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