Bishop of Gloucester asks about the cost of living and domestic violence refuges

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 9th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how they intend to support refuges for victims of domestic violence to afford necessities such as utility bills, given the increased cost of living.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con): Refuges provide vital services for victims of domestic abuse who need to flee their home. DLUHC is committed to the delivery of safe accommodation with support for all victims of domestic abuse, as part of the Government’s overall Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

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Bishop of Durham asks about finances for those with no recourse to public funds

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 9th January 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 24 October (HL2407), what estimate they have made of the number of people with British children who have applied for a change to their asylum status from a status with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) over the last five years.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Clergy

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP on 21st December 2022:

Jim Shannon MP (DUP): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, by what proportion the number of ordinands in the Church of England has changed since 2016.

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Bishop of Durham asks about adequacy of benefits in the current cost of living crisis

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the current levels of benefits given the increased cost of living.

Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The government’s Energy Price Guarantee, running from October 2022- March 2023, will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy price would have been under the current price cap – reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

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Bishop of London asks about changes in statutory sick pay

The Bishop of London received the following written answers on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government how the number of people earning less than the lower earnings threshold for statutory sick pay has changed over the last five years.

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Bishop of Durham asks about funded early education for families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government how many children subject to No Recourse to Public Funds conditions are in receipt of 15 hours a week of free early education available to disadvantaged three and four year-olds, but would be eligible for the 30 hour entitlement if not subject to NRPF.

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Bishop of Durham asks about government records and assessment of debts and credit use

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what records they keep of the rate of (1) credit use, and (2) problem debt; and what assessment they have made of the effects of these on the UK population.

Lord Harlech (Con): The Government monitors the rate of credit use and problem debt by working closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as well as by engaging with the debt advice sector and other relevant stakeholders on their research and findings.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about access to cash in rural areas

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what steps they are taking to ensure that cash access remains viable in the most remote parts of the UK.
  • further to the introduction of shared banking hubs in larger towns in the UK, what assessment they have made of level of cash access those in the most rural areas can expect to have in the future.
  • what steps they are taking to support people who rely solely on cash to (1) access cash, and (2) access digital banking alternatives to cash.

Lord Harlech (Con): The government recognises that while the transition towards digital banking and payments brings many opportunities, cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those who may be in vulnerable groups.

The government is currently taking legislation to protect access to cash across the UK through Parliament as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill 2022. The legislation will establish the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as the lead regulator for access to cash with responsibility and powers to seek to ensure reasonable provision of withdrawal and deposit facilities.

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Bishop of Durham asks about improving access to budgeting loans

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 21st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce (1) the waiting time for, and (2) the size of the loans available through, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ budgeting loans scheme.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about fines imposed on gambling companies

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 20th November 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many fines were imposed against gambling companies by the Gambling Commission for failing to meet their social responsibility obligations in (1) 2016, (2) 2017, (3) 2018, (4) 2019, (5) 2020, and (6) 2021.

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