The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Albans asks about support for those applying for the EU Settlement Scheme

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 30th June 2021:

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

what steps they are taking to support those who have been unable to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme because of the pandemic.
what steps they are taking to support (1) individuals, and (2) communities, who face barriers to applying to the EU Settlement Scheme online

Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con, Home Office): The Home Office remains committed to ensuring those who are eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme can apply, including those who are vulnerable or need extra support. £22 million of funding has been awarded to a network of 72 charities and local authorities across the UK, to ensure important information and assistance gets through to those who are hardest to reach, and no one is left behind. These organisations have helped more than 310,000 vulnerable people to apply to the EUSS already.

Bishop of St Albans asks about gambling reform

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the positive economic effects of instituting reform of the gambling industry on 29th June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the report produced by NERA Economic Consulting for the Peers for Gambling Reform group Economic Assessment of Selected House of Lords Gambling Reforms, published on 26 May, what assessment they have made of the positive economic effects of implementing the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry (HL Paper 79, Session 2019–21).

Bishop of Gloucester asked about protection for migrant victims of abuse

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on safeguarding vulnerable migrant women and children from abuse on 28th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, during the passage of the Domestic Abuse Bill, now an Act, your Lordships discussed how best to protect migrant victims of abuse. Will the Minister assure me that any reforms, such as those being discussed here today, will safeguard migrant women and children, who are often particularly vulnerable?

Bishop of St Albans asks about collapse of the Equitable Life insurance scheme

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 28th June 2021:

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

what recent consideration they have given to ensuring that there is (1) compensation, and (2) support, available to those affected by the collapse of Equitable Life.
what plans they have to assess the methodology used to calculate the money owed to Equitable Life policyholders as part of the compensation scheme established under the Equitable Life (Payments) Act 2010, and (2) the accuracy of the figures produced by that methodology.

Bishop of St Albans asks about fire safety and prevention in residential buildings

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 28th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to give residents, tenants and leaseholders the right to access their building’s fire risk assessment.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con): The Building Safety Bill seeks to provide residents, tenants and leaseholders of high rise buildings with further and more detailed information about the safety measures in their building upon request. This information may include full, current and historical fire risk assessments: further detail will be set out in due course.

Bishop of Lincoln calls for greater investment in UK infrastructure to promote tourism

The Bishop of Lincoln spoke in a debate on tourism in the UK on 24th June 2021, calling for greater investment in coastal and rural communities in order to encourage “at home” tourism:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I speak, once again, about the communities I have engaged with in Lincolnshire over the last 10 years. Two years ago, I was pleased to serve on the Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns and Communities under the leadership of the noble Lord, Lord Bassam of Brighton. That helped me to understand some of the policy issues that need to be addressed by the Government. The committee had a splendid and impressive visit to Skegness, which is addressing some of the issues. Lincolnshire has an extensive coastline and much unspoiled countryside, and is still popular with many holidaymakers. It is heartening to see reports over the weekend of a boom of interest in domestic tourism during the last few months, as a side-effect of the pandemic. However, many of our seaside towns need more than a one-off boost. They need sustained, strategic investment, in which entrepreneurs are encouraged to set up businesses in coastal areas. They need better broadband, better transport connectivity, flexible recruitment practices, and further education provision to be enhanced.

Bishop of Worcester speaks in debate on official development assistance

The Bishop of Worcester took part in a debate on the UK Government’s decision to reduce spending on official development assistance on 24th June 2021, pointing out the high number of doctors and healthcare professionals from overseas working in the UK, in effect taking from countries to which the UK provides aid:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I echo the thanks expressed to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, for this debate. There are many reasons for honouring the manifesto commitment to 0.7% aid, of which the Conservative Party can be proud. I will focus on just one.

Our National Health Service has done a fantastic job during the pandemic and been rightly lauded for doing so. One of the reasons for its success is its superb workforce, no fewer than 170,000 of whom are foreign, the vast majority from poorer countries which are struggling in the face of the pandemic. Figures show that Indians make up the largest number of foreign staff members at 27,000, followed by Filipinos at 23,000. Ghana provides over 3,000, Zimbabwe 4,500 and Pakistan 4,400. The fact is that we are taking more out of developing countries, when we poach their doctors, nurses and other skilled professionals, than we are putting in through aid.

Bishop of Carlisle raises need for proper support for paid and unpaid carers

The Bishop of Carlisle spoke in a debate on social care in the UK on 24th June 2021, raising the issue of staff retention in the paid care sector, and the need for recognition and support of unpaid carers:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Jolly, on securing this timely debate. I should declare an interest as co-chair of a newly formed archbishops’ commission on reimagining social care. Understandably, much of the current discussion of social care involves the issue of funding. That is fundamentally important, but I believe the time has also come for a radical—in the sense of going to its roots—reappraisal of the values and principles underlying social care, not only for the elderly but for those with disabilities and severe mental illnesses. It has been clear for many years that we need an inspiring, cross-party, long-term vision for social care which involves rethinking how we want it to be understood as well as delivered, with those in need of care valued for who they are rather than simply regarded as an inconvenient burden. It has also been clear that that should include reference to some of the underlying societal conditions that contribute to the overall need, such as deprivation, lack of family support and loneliness.

Bishop of St Albans warns against increased use of Magnitsky sanctions

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a Grand Commitee debate on the effectiveness of the Magnitsky sanctions on 24th June 2021, arguing for better cooperation with international partners and support for international law, and warning of the danger of overreliance on sanctions in global affairs:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too agree that there are occasions when these Magnitsky sanctions may be the best available option to us. However, the increased use of such sanctions is a worrying sign that the organs of international arbitration such as the UN or the ICJ may be losing their effectiveness. These were the very institutions established in response to the tit-for-tat foreign policy that defined the 19th and early 20th centuries, with all their resulting catastrophes.

Our Government are a big advocate of the concept of “Global Britain”, an ambiguous phrase that sometimes means leading as a force for good in the world but at other times is simply a declaration that Britain is open for international business. My concern is that these conflicting visions of global Britain are sometimes mutually exclusive, and that when dealing with human rights abuses there may be a tendency to take the route of least domestic economic disruption.

Bishop of Manchester calls for clear timeline to resolve issues of building safety

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the government’s timetable for resolving issues of building safety for residents of buildings with unsafe cladding and other safety issues on 24th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, four years on from Grenfell, one of the heaviest burdens being borne by those trapped living in unsafe buildings—whether due to cladding or otherwise—is simply not knowing when their plight will end. Will the Minister now urge Her Majesty’s Government to present this House with a clear timetable and deadline for resolving all outstanding issues, so that residents will know when they will be able to live in their homes safely and when they will be able to sell them for a proper price?

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