On 9th February 2022, the House of Lords debated the Dissolution and Calling of Parliaments Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the Bill, in which a bishop took part.
Votes: Dissolution and Calling of Parliaments Bill
Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of London tables amendment in support of domestic abuse survivors
During a debate on amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill on 8th February 2022, The Bishop of London tabled amendment 140, which would provide for safer usage of personal data to protect migrant survivors of domestic abuse:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, Amendment 140 in my name and those of the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, and the noble Lords, Lord Rosser and Lord Paddick, asks the Committee to consider again the debates that we had during the passage of the Domestic Abuse Bill. Indeed, this amendment was passed in your Lordships’ House last year, only to be rejected by the Commons.
In short, the issue is that immigration enforcement and the sharing of data too often serve as a significant barrier, preventing survivors of domestic abuse coming forward and receiving the help they need. Research from the Latin American Women’s Rights Service, to which I am grateful for its support and briefings, has repeatedly shown that in cases of domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls, victims with insecure immigration status are unlikely to approach the police because they believe that the police will prioritise their lack of legal status instead of protecting them as victims of a serious crime. As many as 50% of domestic abuse victims never report the crimes committed against them.
Continue reading “Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of London tables amendment in support of domestic abuse survivors”Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of Durham supports amendments around family reunion
During a debate on amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill in its fourth day of the Committee stage, on 8th February 2022, the Bishop of Durham spoke in support of amendments targeted towards ensuring family reunion for migrants, particularly refugees and unaccompanied minors:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I specifically support Amendment 117, to which I have added my name, but I support all these amendments around family reunion. I declare my interests in the register around RAMP and Reset as before.
Acknowledging that when people are forcibly displaced they end up in different places, often having lost family members, UNHCR research has shown that families often set out together but become separated along the way. Reconnecting those families, or, where some family members are lost, reconnecting people with other relatives, really matters. In seeking protection, those seeking asylum want to do so alongside the family that they have. This is better for individuals—their well-being and their future prospects—and for the community as a whole. It is therefore also better for social integration.
Continue reading “Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of Durham supports amendments around family reunion”Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in support of amendments on offshoring of asylum seekers
On 8th February 2022, the House of Lords debated the Nationality and Borders Bill in its fourth day of the Committee stage. The Bishop of Durham spoke in support of amendments 100 and 101, tabled by Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, that would remove the powers in the bill to “offshore” asylum seekers before the consideration of their claims:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, in rising to support Amendments 100 and 101, to which I have added my name, I declare my interests in relation to both the RAMP project and Reset, as set out in the register.
When people arrive on our shores seeking protection, we have a responsibility to treat them as we would wish to be treated if we had to flee for our lives. It is right that we have a process to determine who meets the criteria for refugee status, but while we determine this, we are responsible for people’s safety, welfare and care. If we move them to other countries for the processing of their asylum claims, I fear a blind eye will be turned to their treatment. How will we be sure that they are being treated humanely and fairly, and would our Government even give this much concern once they had left our shores? If we look to the experience of Australia and the refugees accommodated in Nauru, as the noble Lord, Lord Kirkhope, has just mentioned, we hear deeply shocking accounts of abuse, inhumane treatment and mental and physical ill-health.
As mentioned in relation to an earlier amendment, I visited Napier barracks last week to see improvements that have been made since the exposure of the disgraceful conditions at the beginning of last year. If what we have seen at Napier is permitted to happen in the UK, what can we expect overseas, where accountability and monitoring will be so much harder? The monitoring of asylum accommodation contractors in the UK is poor, which gives us some idea about the level of monitoring we could expect of offshore processing.
Continue reading “Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in support of amendments on offshoring of asylum seekers”Bishop of Chichester asks about role of the Anglican Communion in international development
The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the role of the Anglican Communion in supporting international development on 8th February 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, parishes across England have links through the Anglican Communion with international communities where the issues of poverty, conflict and disease are most clearly felt. Those are shared by the people in our congregations in this land. As the bishops from the Anglican Communion gather for the Lambeth Conference this summer, I hope the Minister will enable us to present something about our nation’s international strategy for international development that will address some of the most crucial issues. First, there are the ways in which human rights are trampled on, particularly in the context of persecution of people for their faith—both Christian and other faiths. Secondly, there is the use of opportunities for partnership with the Anglian Communion in that strategy. Thirdly—
Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester asks about role of the Anglican Communion in international development”Bishop of Durham asks about trust in the Prime Minister
On 31st January 2022, during a debate on the Sue Gray report concerning the events in Downing Street during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Bishop of Durham raised the question of trust in the Prime Minister:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I thank the Leader for all she has done so far. I spend time talking to children, and sometimes they cut to the chase. Last week, year 6 children in primary schools said to me, “Do you trust the Prime Minister? Can we trust him?” They were not interested in parties, civil servants and special advisers. It was: can we trust the Prime Minister?
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con): As the Statement makes clear, the Prime Minister has said to the people of this country that he knows the issue is trust and that we are a Government who can be trusted to deliver. He also understands that we need to work tirelessly to prove that.
Bishop of Durham asks about targeted action to tackle economic crime
The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the government’s plans to tackle economic crime on 31st January 2023, during a debate on the planned Economic Crime Bill:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, those who decide to perpetrate economic crime are apparently targeted, swift and very bright about how they do it. I read the Statement and it mentions the Home Office, the Treasury and BEIS. Is it not time for more targeted, thought-through, quick action by government, rather than action that is divided across too many departments?
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about targeted action to tackle economic crime”Bishop of Exeter asks about access to dental service in rural communities
The Bishop of Exeter asked a question on access to dental services for rural communities on 31st January 2022, during a debate on issues in NHS dental care:
The Lord Bishop of Exeter: My Lords, the report of Healthwatch England states that, of all the areas in the country with lack of access to NHS dentistry,
“the worst affected is Devon, as there are currently no practices showing as taking on adult or child patients.”
Can the Minister assure the House that, as part of the Government’s levelling-up policy, rural communities in Devon and elsewhere will not be further disadvantaged and will have access to NHS dental services?
Continue reading “Bishop of Exeter asks about access to dental service in rural communities”Bishop of Durham asks about deaths relating to the benefits system
The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 31st January 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government how many cases have been reported to the Department for Work and Pensions via the coroners focal point since February 2020.
Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con): From February 2020 to January 2022, 46 cases have been raised via this channel. This figure includes enquires made by the police and other bodies, and erroneous referrals where we signposted the enquirer elsewhere as appropriate.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about deaths relating to the benefits system”Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in support of amendments on children’s citizenship
During a debate on the Nationality and Borders Bill on 27th January 2022, the Bishop of Durham voiced his support for amendments to ensure that British Citizenship should not be withheld from a stateless child born in the UK:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I am trying to imagine how it could ever be in the best interests of a child born and raised in this country not to be given the right to be a citizen of this country. In what possible circumstances could we decide that it would be in the best interests of someone born and raised in this country to be decreed, at the age of 13 or 14, a citizen of another state? That is the situation. You could almost forget the 1961 convention, human rights and so on; we are simply talking about the best interests of the child. You can then back it up with all the international stuff on top. I support these amendments.
Continue reading “Nationality and Borders Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in support of amendments on children’s citizenship”
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