The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Israeli Defence Force’s reported use of the ‘Dahiya Doctrine’, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; and of whether it is compatible with international humanitarian law.
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The Bishop of Bristol received the following written answer on 17th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Bristol asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the increase to the immigration health surcharge by 66 per cent in 2024.
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The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on efforts to recognise Palestinian statehood and the issue of trade with illegal settlements in Israel on 16th June 2025, following a government statement on the conflict in the Middle East:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I pray for wise judgment and a swift end to the current conflict between Israel and Iran. I pray for restraint and for the safety and well-being of Jewish people, here and around the world. I support the steps that have been made to protect British nationals and I am appalled by the attacks on civilians, wherever they occur.
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The Bishop of London asked a question on government efforts to tackle inequality of access to adult social care on 16th June 2025, during a discussion on remedying workforce gaps and skills shortages in the sector:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, given the well-documented regional and social economic disparities in access to adult social care, in what way are the Government, in focusing on the shortages in the workforce, focusing their efforts on tackling this inequality in access?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about ensuring equal access to adult social care”The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in support of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill [HL], a private member’s bill tabled by Baroness Lister of Burtersett, at committee on 13th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I am pleased to support the Private Member’s Bill of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, on asylum support and her Amendments 1 and 2, which would enable the Government to extend the move-on period according to their plans and timetable. The Bill is extraordinarily well timed, with the move-on period pilot coming to a close and the Government having recently published their White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System. As the Government reduce the backlog of asylum applications and speed up the process times of applications, I suggest that this Bill does not impede but rather supports the Government as they seek to build a well-managed asylum system with integration back at its heart.
At Second Reading, I spoke of why 28 days was simply not enough time for an individual with newly granted refugee status to locate new accommodation, try to find employment and navigate a welfare system. This should now be regarded as indisputable, given that an individual cannot even access universal credit before five weeks have passed, that the majority of landlords will not even let a property before a first payment has come in and that setting up a bank account is proving difficult with an e-visa alone. On this latter point, I hope that the Government will consider issuing guidance to banking services.
Continue reading “Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports legislation”The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 13th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:
On 12th June 2025, the Bishop of Chichester spoke in a short debate on the role of craft industries in the UK to highlight the contribution these people play to maintain churches and cathedrals:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, it is a great privilege to take part in this debate. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Freyberg, for bringing it forward. I echo much of what was said by my right reverend friend the Bishop of Southwark and by the noble Lord, Lord Lingfield, with whom I worked at St Paul’s.
I would like to stress the importance of capacity for long-term funding in order that long-term planning can be undertaken by these fragile groups. I was disappointed that this morning there was no response from the Minister in the Statement on the spending review to indicate that there will be certainty about the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond 2026, which is essential for so many churches, parishes and cathedrals, nor a review of the capping system of the VAT application, which once again destroys much of the benefit of knowing that there is funding ahead.
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The Bishop of Southwark spoke in debate on the rile of craft industries in the UK on 12th June 2025, highlighting the role of the Church of England in supporting craft skills:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Freyberg, for securing this debate and for his expertise.
Like the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chichester, who will speak later, I believe that cathedrals and churches are some of our nation’s most significant and tangible assets, shaping our history and identity, as well as being the beating hearts of our communities. I regret, therefore, that the Government’s decision to curb support for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme affects our ability to maintain and renew this precious inheritance. I hope this has been recognised in the spending review.
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The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on investment in children’s futures and the cost of living on 12th June 2025, following a government statement on the recent spending review:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, there are things to welcome in the spending review: I would point in particular to His Majesty’s Government’s steps to support the most vulnerable, tackle regional inequality, increase investment in schools, social housing and healthcare and maintain some level of support for the arts and culture, recognising their importance. More support for libraries, which act as community hubs, is welcome. I hope that the benefit of churches, which are also public buildings that contribute to community life, especially in rural areas, will also be recognised and that DCMS will do this by resolving the long-term uncertainty about the future of the listed places of worship grant scheme beyond 2026 and the capping of grants, effectively, by VAT liability.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester responds to government statement on spending review”The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on benefit cuts impacting the vulnerable and disabled on 12th June 2025, following a government statement on the Winter Fuel Payment:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, like other Peers, I welcome this decision. The other day, I asked the Minister something to which he did not respond, and I wonder if I might ask it again. Is one of the lessons learned from this for the Government that, should they be making further cuts in spending, they might not look to vulnerable or disabled people.
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