On 16th December the Bishop of Gloucester received written answers to questions on pregnant women and mothers in prison, and the impact on families of the remand backlog:
Prisoners on Remand
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the remand backlog on (1) prison overcrowding, and (2) the health and wellbeing of prisoners, including children and young people held on remand. [HL11119]
On 16th December the Bishop of St Albans received answers to two written questions on fly-tipping of electronic and hazardous waste:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 6 February (HL944), what progress they have made on the introduction of a mandatory electronic waste tracking system to combat fly tipping. [HL11049]
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about fly-tipping of electronic and hazardous waste”
On 15th December the Bishop of Southwark asked a question during exchanges on the the impact of Covid-19 on the cultural and arts sectors:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark [V]: My Lords, will the Minister please comment on what is being done to support the huge supply chain of talent, materials and suppliers for live events and performances?Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark asks about support for arts supply chain affected by covid-19”
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to provide funding to charitable hospice care providers who have lost community funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. [HL10989]On 14th December votes were held in the House of Lords on the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill during its ‘ping-pong’ stage between Houses. Bishops supported two motions tabled by Peers to insist on amendments to the Bill that had been turned down by the Government in the House of Commons.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, it is true that we cannot cost the human hurt and pain, but the Statement praised the tax receipts and employment benefits that come from the gambling industry but did not mention any of the financial costs of gambling-related harms. Will the Minister assure the House that, as part of the evidence-based approach, the review will include research into the cost of gambling-related harms—for example, for the 14 clinics dealing with gambling addictions, the cost of trials and imprisonment, the cost of JSA claims and the terrible cost of suicides—to ascertain whether the gambling industry is really a net contributor to the Treasury, as the Government claim?
The Lord Bishop of Salisbury [V]: My Lords, the Government have made a number of statements, which, with the 10-point plan and the upping of the nationally defined contributions to the Paris Agreement, are very welcome. The Government’s manifesto commits to planting 30,000 hectares of trees per year. That is a really key target to aim for in relation to the climate change committee’s report, but it is one that we have missed by 71% in the last year and consistently over previous years. I much admire the Prime Minister’s ambition, but how are the Government to ensure that performance exceeds or matches that ambition?Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury asks Government about missing its tree planting targets”
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of Newcastle was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
She asked a question on the effect of international aid cuts on vaccines for malaria, and took part in votes.
The Bishop of Worcester asked about a national child poverty strategy.
The Bishops of Coventry, Southwark and Leeds received written answers to questions about use of cluster munitions, protection of refugees, and religious and cultural sites in Nagorno Karabakh.
The Bishop of Oxford asked Government about age ratings for content on streaming platforms.
The Bishop of St Albans sponsored amendments on parliamentary oversight, and human rights, to the Government’s Trade Bill. He and other bishop voted in support of amendments to the Bill.
The Bishop also asked Government about gambling related harms, and their Agriculture Transition Plan. He received written answers to questions on armed conflict and food shortages in Ethiopia, and whether UK purchased PPE had been made using Chinese forced labour in China.
The Bishop of Peterborough asked Government to make retrospective pension entitlements of some remarried war widows.
The Bishop of Salisbury received a written answer on a potential environmental governance gap after the end of the Brexit transition period.
Bishops took part in votes on the UK Internal Market Bill and a report into the conduct and suspension of a Member.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question on landholdings.
The Lord Bishop of Peterborough [V]: My Lords, David Cameron, under whose premiership the new rules came in, has admitted that the current situation is a mistake and was not intended. It is manifestly unjust and betrays those who have served our country. The ridiculous rule that people could rectify the situation by divorcing and then remarrying undermines the institution of marriage. Does this not make it entirely justifiable to overturn, or at least suspend, the policy to which the Minister refers?
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