Bishop of Durham asks about efforts to evacuate and relocate Afghan refugees

On 7th September 2021, during a debate on the situation in Afghanistan, the Bishop of Durham asked about the provision of commercial air services to evacuate people from the country, and support for local authorities in providing housing to incoming refugees:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, sometimes very unexpected conversations occur. On my journey down from the north-east this morning, I found myself spending two hours talking with someone who had done seven tours of service in Afghanistan and nearly 10 years’ service in security. It is painful to talk to someone who is showing you on their phone the photos of them in the cargo plane coming out and hear his story.

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Armed Forces Bill: Bishop of St Albans highlights mental health issues affecting members of the armed forces

On 7th September 2021, the Armed Forces Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords. The Bishop of St Albans welcomed the bill, and spoke on the importance of recognising the high levels of mental health issues faced by members of the armed forces:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too want to pay tribute to our Armed Forces. In repaying their service, it is right, as the Armed Forces covenant states, that

“those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens”.

I welcome the provisions in the Bill enabling greater legal enforcement of the covenant in achieving this parity.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about efforts to combat climate change denial

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on the need for education to combat climate denialism on 7th September 2021, during a debate on a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis.

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, we all agree, I am sure, that the climate emergency is an immensely complex subject with many different facets. There is an urgent need and responsibility to educate and engage the public in responsible ways on the urgent priority of public and private action. Does the Minister agree that investment and a serious programme of public engagement are needed to combat climate change deniers, climate change delayers and those who say that there is no hope and nothing can be done? What are the Government’s plans for this?

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Environment Bill: Archbishop of York

On 6th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the first day of the report stage. The Archbishop of York spoke in the debate, supporting an amendment which would require the government to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, in the Book of Common Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer says:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

in earth as in heaven.”

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Archbishop of York urges government to work with churches and community groups on issues surrounding the Grenfell Tower

On 6th September 2021, the Archbishop of York spoke during a discussion on the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, urging the government to work with faith leaders to facilitate discussions with community members on the demolition of the tower and future use of the site:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, as I am sure many noble Lords know, my colleague, the Bishop of Kensington, and other community, Christian and faith leaders, have been hugely involved with survivors’ and victims’ groups in Grenfell, where there is, of course, much pain and anxiety caused by the newspaper reports over the weekend. Although it is good to hear the Minister say that there will be discussions with those community groups, I urge him to consider working with the Church and other community leaders to have these discussions as a matter of urgency, because there is such concern raised at the moment and people feel as though—whether the feeling is correct or not—they are not being consulted.

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Archbishop of York asks about expedition of Afghan refugee claims

The Archbishop of York asked a question on the expedition of new and existing asylum claims for Afghan nationals in the UK on 6th September 2021, during a debate on the progress of bilateral return agreements with EU states for the return of asylum seekers arriving in the United Kingdom:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, care and justice for asylum seekers is obviously a matter very close to the heart of the Church, Jesus himself being a refugee. Last week, the Church of England published a toolkit for the many churches that have asked us what they can do to support Afghan refugees. The Minister will know that the Church and other faith communities are among the main support works for asylum seekers. There are more than 3,000 Afghan nationals with existing asylum claims waiting for a decision, some of whom have been waiting a long time. What steps are the Government taking to expedite procedures for dealing with existing or new asylum claims by Afghan nationals, given the very changed situation and the particular stress and trauma felt by these people?

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Archbishop of Canterbury urges that “morals, not numbers” guide UK refugee policy towards Afghans

During a meeting of the House of Lords on 18th August 2021 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan following withdrawal of international troops and the Taliban entering Kabul, the Archbishop of Canterbury paid tribute to the people of Afghanistan and urged that the government policy towards refugees be guided by morality rather than numbers:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I look forward especially to hearing noble and gallant Lords, diplomats and others with local knowledge of Afghanistan. We rightly remember the courage, suffering and sacrifice over the past 20 years and the courage being shown currently by our ambassador and service- people in Afghanistan, together with their colleagues, and reporters.

When we look back, I remember a cathedral full for the funeral of a soldier: family and many colleagues silent in dignity, some wounded, mourning their loss. The failure we face today is not military or diplomatic—they did all they could—it is political. Recovery and hope will come to Afghanistan with our supporting commitment to the neediest and most desperate. We have proven capacities in soft as well as hard power. We owe an absolute, lavishly generous moral covenant to all those who are at risk because they served with us in Afghanistan or took seriously our frequently professed commitment to its future, women and girls included.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about expansion of broadband coverage

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 2nd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to their report Planning for Gigabit Delivery in 2021, published on 22 December 2020, what percentage of (1) “red: large contract procurement areas”, (2) “blue: small procurement areas”, and (3) “grey: forecast build areas”, will be covered by gigabit broadband by 2025.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about addressing inequalities in the council tax system

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on how the government planned to address inequalities in the council tax system on 22nd July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: According to the citizens advice bureau, council tax is the most common debt problem faced by families in Britain, with 86,000 people in England struggling to keep up with payments. The current system heavily favours the south-east and disproportionately disadvantages the poor. As part of the levelling up agenda, what consideration have Her Majesty’s Government given to a land value tax to address these inequalities?

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

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of OpenRAN (1) as part of their gigabit capable broad rollout, (2) in increasing connectivity to rural communities, and (3) in extending connectivity to rural ‘notspots’.

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