Bishop of Gloucester joins tributes to departing Clerk of Parliaments

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke during tributes to the departing Clerk of Parliaments, Ed Ollard, on 13th April 2021, thanking him for his service and welcoming the new Clerk, Simon Burton, to the role:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I am very glad that I do not have to answer those questions, because I do not know the answers. However, I want to add a few words from these Benches, paying tribute on behalf of the Lords spiritual. My colleagues and I have greatly benefited from Ed Ollard’s sound judgment, diligent support and practical guidance in his time as the Clerk of the Parliaments. We on these Benches are immensely grateful for his calm and steady stewardship during, as others have said, this very unpredictable time. Navigating a unique transition to a hybrid Parliament, the role of the Clerk of the Parliaments has been challenging. He has met it head on, and it is a testament to his adaptability that your Lordships’ House has functioned so well and effectively during this pandemic. We warmly welcome Simon Burton to the role and very much look forward to working with him, but today, we want to say a huge “thank you” to Ed Ollard and to wish him all the best for the future.

Hansard

Church Commissioners Written Questions

On 13th April 2021, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Church of England: Farms

Jim Shannon MP (DUP, Strangford): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, other than in cases where a tenancy is replacing a previous tenancy let under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 how many tenancies have been let (a) for an initial fixed term of five years or less (b) for an initial fixed term of five years or more in each of the last five years, ending with 2020.

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Bishop of London pays tribute to Duke of Edinburgh

The Bishop of London gave a speech in tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh on 12th September 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London [V]: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow so many distinguished noble and noble and gallant Lords, including my noble friend the most Reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury. They have all spoken so warmly, and I wish to add my tribute to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Noble Lords will know that it is my honour to be not just the Bishop of London but the Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal.

I would like to start with words from Alfred Tennyson:

“Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar

When I put out to sea”.

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Archbishop of Canterbury pays tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh

On 12th April 2021, the Archbishop of Canterbury joined in House of Lords tributes to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who had recently passed away:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow four such eloquent speeches from the Front Benches, and it is with great sadness and much sympathy that I convey from these Benches the condolences of the Lords spiritual especially to Her Majesty the Queen, but also to all her family on the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. In thousands of churches and homes around the nation and the world yesterday, as on every Sunday, prayers were said for the Queen. This weekend we have also thanked God for Prince Philip’s life of extraordinary service. There are some rare people who bring energy into a room. As we have already heard, the Duke of Edinburgh was very much one of those people. His presence lifted a gathering. He might have challenged and interrogated, but whatever he said he never bored anyone.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about assistance available for Roma community under EU Settlement Scheme

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assist members of the Roma community to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme before 30 June; and what assessment they have made of the barriers (1) to obtaining the required documentation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) to accessing, and completing, online applications, experienced by that community.

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Bishop of Coventry asks about conflict in Tigray region

The Bishop of Coventry received the following written answers on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry asked Her Majesty’s Government:

  • what assessment they have made of the statement by the International Council on Monuments and Sites on 5 March that Tigray’s heritage is falling victim to fighting and “cultural cleansing”.
  • what representations they have made to the governments of (1) Ethiopia, and (2) Eritrea, about the need (a) to take immediate steps to prevent any further damage to the cultural sites of Tigray, (b) to safeguard and respect all cultural property in Tigray, and (c) to ensure that looted objects are restored to their communities.
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Bishop of London asks about public health grants for local authorities

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to reverse the real terms cuts to public health grants for local authorities, and (2) to maintain the amount allocated for public health grants as a percentage of the total budget of NHS England.

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Bishop of Durham asks about housing and services provided for asylum seekers

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government how many members of staff working for asylum accommodation providers have received the training specified in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Statement of Requirements; and whether training for staff who have face-to-face contact with service users is stipulated in Home Office contracts with providers.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about reports of destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th April 2024:

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

  • what assessment they have made of reports that Armenian cultural heritage, including churches and monuments, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region has been destroyed by Azerbaijan during the dispute over that territory.
  • what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan about reports of the (1) destruction of an Armenian church, and (2) destruction of cultural heritage, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
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Bishop of London asks about political situation in Mozambique

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to facilitate a coordinated response from UK political, economic and faith leaders to the situation in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique; and, in coordinating any such response, how they will take account of the influence of (1) natural disasters, (2) insurgents aligned with Islamic State, and (3) the recruitment of poor and disaffected young people to armed groups in the region.

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