On 30th April 2025, the House of Lords debated to the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Votes: Armed Forces Commissioner Bill
Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on whistleblowing
On 30th April 2025, the House of Lords debated the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill in report. The Bishop of Norwich spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Baroness Goldie to establish whistleblowing functions within the functions of the Commissioner:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I support Amendments 3 and 5 in the names of the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, and the noble Earl, Lord Minto. I am also very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, for the way in which he has engaged with us on the Bill and, in particular listened well in the scrutiny stages.
Continue reading “Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on whistleblowing”Bishop of Manchester asks about community cohesion following tensions in Kashmir
The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on efforts to de-escalate tensions and reassure communities in the UK on 30th April 2025, following a government statement on a recent terrorist attack and rising tensions in Kashmir:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I have had a number of distressed emails from Hindu leaders in my own diocese, and as faith leaders we are trying to see how we can respond to this incident. Will the Minister say a little more about how he expects civil society organisations and faith communities to play a part in helping to de-escalate tensions in the UK?
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about community cohesion following tensions in Kashmir”Bishop of St Albans asks about resourcing for local authority investigations of child abuse
The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on support and resourcing for local authority investigations of child sexual abuse on 30th April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I support the idea of having local inquiries, but some local authorities do not wish to have an inquiry. What will His Majesty’s Government do about that? Secondly, is the Minister convinced that these local authorities, some of which are financially challenged, have the resources to undertake this important work?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about resourcing for local authority investigations of child abuse”Bishop of Derby asks about tackling homelessness
The Bishop of Derby asked a question on support for those leaving prison and at risk of becoming homeless on 30th April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, this feels very close to home. The BBC recently reported that the number of people who spent at least one night sleeping rough in Derby in 2024 was 63% higher than in 2023. In the Government’s annual rough sleeping snapshot, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that 10% of everyone sleeping rough across the UK had left institutions such as prison. I welcome the announcement that councils across England will receive £1 billion of funding to reduce and prevent homelessness. As the Bishop with particular responsibility for youth offenders, I ask the Minister how her department intends to work with councils to ensure that sufficient investment is appropriately and effectively allocated specifically to support young adults who are leaving prison.
Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks about tackling homelessness”Bishop of Gloucester asks about contact systems in young offenders institutions
The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 30th April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the relative impact of providing (1) a PIN telephone system, and (2) in-cell telephones, on the number of calls prisoners and young offenders make to (a) family members, (b) support workers, and (c) others in the community.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about contact systems in young offenders institutions”Bishop of St Albans asks about treatment of bipolar disorder
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 30th April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve treatment of people with bipolar disorder.
Baroness Merron (Lab, DHSC): It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for people with bipolar disorder. We are determined to change that.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about treatment of bipolar disorder”Church Commissioners Written Questions: Religious Practice, Bishop of Winchester
On 29th April 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Christianity: Religious Practice
Neil O’Brien (Con, Harborough, Oadby and Wigston): To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how many confirmations there were in each year since 1994.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Religious Practice, Bishop of Winchester”Bishop of Leeds asks about role of the US in the future of Ukraine
The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the role of the United States in the future of Ukraine on 28th April 2025, following a government statement on the progress of peace talks in London:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, that position is very honourable, but the Minister said a moment ago that Russia should not determine the future of Ukraine. Should the United States?
Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds asks about role of the US in the future of Ukraine”Bishop of Leeds asks about conflict in Sudan
The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the government’s approach to the economic benefits to the warring parties in the conflict in Sudan on 28th April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, there was much mention at the conference, given the statements that came out of it, of a rejection of external interference, but there were people there who are externally interfering, such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Although the focus on humanitarian access is absolutely right, there is also the problem of gold, and that the conflict is being fuelled by the economic element of ownership and extraction of gold. Do the Government have any plans to approach the economic benefits to the warring parties as a way of stopping the conflict?
Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds asks about conflict in Sudan”
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