Bishop of Rochester asks about standards in public office

The Bishop of Rochester asked a question on the need to uphold standards in public office on 27th April 2021, following a Commons statement on dealing with potential breaches of the ministerial code:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I will not advise on internal decorations, but I observe that, by virtue of being here, we are all inhabitants of glass houses. We note the adage that being in a glass house makes us visible, so it is wise to behave in ways that do not disgrace this place or ourselves. We often hear words from or about Ministers and others in public office to the effect that he or she did not “break the rules”. Is that not to set the bar fairly low? Does the Minister agree that, while we are all fallible human beings, we, in public office, should aspire to the highest possible standards of probity and behaviour and not simply settle for keeping the rules? If we do not, public opinion will lead to ever tighter rules.

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Bishop of London asks about maternal mortality rates

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 27th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish a report on the work to reduce health inequalities around maternal mortality rates, in particular the higher rate of death in childbirth for Black women, led by Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE; and what action will be taken as a result of this report.

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Bishop of Rochester asks about updates to war memorials

The Bishop of Rochester asked a question on the inclusion of names of fallen soldiers from the former British Empire on war memorials, following a government statement on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Historical Inequalities Report:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I associate myself with the comments just made by the noble Lord, Lord Singh. Like many others, I have stood in places such as the Menin Gate and been overawed by the reading of the names there. In seeing the names of the fallen from many parts of the then Empire, I had assumed that all such were indeed properly commemorated. I know now of course that I and many others were wrong in that assumption. I have present and past diocesan connections with Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. I have also visited memorials and cemeteries in those places where I have seen the names of some local nationals. I am now asking myself how many names were not there when I visited those places. Is the Minister able to give me confidence to assure my colleagues in those places that their fallen compatriots will be as fully commemorated as possible, as soon as possible? Is there anything they can do to help this process?

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Bishop of Rochester asks about role of local authorities in implementation of new local structures

The Bishop of Rochester asked a question on the government’s plans to implement new local structures on 26th April 2021, during a discussion on the annual report from the Industrial Strategy Council:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, although I was once a voluntary sector member of a regional assembly, I do not hanker after a return to that particular bit of structure. However, are Her Majesty’s Government contemplating any new local structures as part of the response to the questions raised, or do they trust local authorities, executive mayors and existing bodies, such as the LEPs, to deliver on this agenda? I notice that the Minister did not mention local authorities in his original response.

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Bishop of Carlisle asks about funding for brain cancer research

The Bishop of Carlisle received the following written answer on 26th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle asked Her Majesty’s Government when they will allocate the remainder of the £40 million pledged to brain cancer research announced in May 2018.

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Bishop of Durham asks about housing for asylum seekers

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum seekers they have asked (1) Mears, (2) Serco, and (3) Clearsprings Ready Homes, to provide accommodation for as part of Operation Oak.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con, Home Office): We currently have c8100 people in hotels, with our providers working to procure sufficient accommodation across the UK to exit contingency accommodation and maintain a business as usual operation thereafter.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about issues faced by the Anglican Church in Egypt

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of freedom of religion or belief in Egypt.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, FCDO): The UK welcomes the positive steps taken by the Government of Egypt in recent years, including President Sisi’s public commitment to upholding the rights of minorities and freedom of worship, as well as the protections for freedom of religion enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. We were also encouraged by the opening of the Middle East’s largest cathedral in Egypt in 2019.

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Bishop of London asks about assessments of patients opting out of surgery

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 26th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the breakdown by (1) protected characteristic, and (2) socio-economic background, of the patients who choose to opt out of surgery following the waiting list validation process.

Lord Bethell (Con, DHSC): No formal assessment has been made. Data on protected characteristics and socio-economic background is not collected centrally.

Hansard

Bishop of Durham moves Cathedrals Measure

On 22nd April 2021, the Bishop of Durham moved the Church of England Cathedrals Measure in the House of Lords, asking that the measure be approved for Royal Assent. The Bishop of Oxford also spoke in support of the measure:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Cathedrals Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.

My Lords, I beg to move the second Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. The Cathedrals Measure provides a new statutory framework for the governance and regulation of 41 Church of England cathedrals and will replace the framework in the Cathedrals Measure 1999.

Our cathedrals are national treasures which it is both a privilege and a responsibility to care for. They play a key role in our national life, with some 10 million adults visiting them each year and around 330,000 children enjoying free educational visits to them. All our cathedrals are involved in work in their local community, and they contribute around £220 million annually to the UK economy, employing some 3,000 people. Above all, however, each cathedral serves its community as the mother church of its area and the seat of a bishop, and remains in use for its original purpose.

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Bishop of Durham moves Diocesan Boards of Education Measure

On 22nd April 2021, the Bishop of Durham spoke in support of the Diocesan Boards of Education Measure, asking that the House of Lords approve the measure:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Diocesan Boards of Education Measure be presented to Her Majesty for the Royal Assent.

My Lords, the Diocesan Boards of Education Measure updates and replaces the Diocesan Boards of Education Measure 1991, which provides the legal framework within which the Church of England’s dioceses engage and work with church schools.

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