Bishop of Durham asks Government about its commitment to refugee resettlement scheme

On 28th October the Bishop of Durham received a written answer to four questions on refugee resettlement:

The Lord Bishop of Durham:

(i) To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 5 October (HL Deb, col 407), whether they have revised their aim of resettling 5,000 refugees in 2020/21 under the UK’s new resettlement scheme as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; and, if so, what is the revised aim for resettlement this year. [HL9220]

(ii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 14 September (HL7752), what discussions they have held with local authorities about their capacity to restart refugee resettlement as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic; and whether any local authorities have confirmed that they are ready to restart resettlement. [HL9221]

(iii) To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the final 232 refugees within the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme will be resettled in the UK when it is safe to do so. [HL9222]

(iv) To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce their long term refugee resettlement commitment beyond 2021. [HL9223] Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks Government about its commitment to refugee resettlement scheme”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about land banking

On 28th October the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on housing construction:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Greenhalgh on 1 October (HL8296) and on 19 October (HL8828), what assessment they have made of the impact of tackling the practices of ‘land banking’ and ‘intentional delay’ on the market absorption rates in the housing market. [HL9442] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about land banking”

Bishop of Salisbury calls for more focus on energy microgeneration

On 27th October the House of Lords considered the Government’s Infrastructure Planning (Electricity Storage Facilities) Order 2020 in Grand Committee. The Bishop of Salisbury took part in the debate, highlighting the need for local authorities to be properly resourced to respond, and the value of microgeneration:

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury [V]: My Lords, this is not really my territory. I hesitate to come into this discussion but I will not delay noble Lords long. I note that the Delegated Legislation Committee in the other place dealt with this proposal in 13 minutes and, even then, the Minister commented on the widening of the discussion beyond the SI itself. That has already begun to happen in this discussion.

There seems to be little controversy surrounding the SI. The 2019 consultation drew 28 responses from industry, which were broadly supportive. However, is not the question that needs to be addressed on what additional funding will be given to local authorities to ensure that there is sufficient expertise and capacity for local planning officers to make fully informed decisions about these planning requests? Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury calls for more focus on energy microgeneration”

Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports amendment on pensioner poverty

On 27th October 2020 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill in Committee. The Bishop of St Albans supported an amendment on reporting impacts on pensioner poverty:
Continue reading “Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports amendment on pensioner poverty”

Bishop of Bristol asks Government to tackle school holiday hunger and long term child poverty

On 27th October 2020 Lord Woolley of Woodford asked the Government “following the announcements of the Welsh and Scottish Governments, as well as local councils, whether they will end the free school meals postcode lottery and provide free school meals for eligible children in England during the school holidays until Easter 2021.” The Bishop of Bristol asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol [V]: My Lords, although I agree with the Government that free school meals are not the long-term solution for holiday hunger, the reality is that it is now half-term and children are going hungry. Does the Minister agree that although ​the current crisis demands short-term solutions, there is also a much bigger question at stake? Will she tell us what sustained support the Government will be offering to address the concerns up to Easter 2021, and their plans to tackle the underlying and increasing issues of child poverty in the longer term? Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks Government to tackle school holiday hunger and long term child poverty”

Bishop of Bristol asks Government about plans to help migrant women suffering domestic abuse

On 27th October 2020 Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate asked the Government “what steps they are taking to protect victims of domestic abuse.” The Bishop of Bristol asked as follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol [V]: My Lords, I add my voice to the concerns raised by many others in this House about how migrant women will be affected by the Domestic Abuse Bill. I thank the Government for their £1.5 million commitment to support research into the particular needs of this vulnerable group, but how many women is the scheme expected to support and what specific questions will the pilot be seeking to answer? Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol asks Government about plans to help migrant women suffering domestic abuse”

Bishop of Carlisle asks Government about counselling and mediation services for divorcing couples

On 27th October 2020 the Bishop of Carlisle received a written answer to a question on counselling and mediation services for divorcing couples:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the passing of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 on 25 June, what information and guidance they plan to provide online about the availability of counselling and mediation services for couples going through the procedure of divorce. [HL9117] Continue reading “Bishop of Carlisle asks Government about counselling and mediation services for divorcing couples”

Bishop of Coventry asks about UK response capabilities to overseas violence and atrocities

On 27th October 2020 the Bishop of Coventry received written answers to two questions, on atrocity prevention training to UK embassy and diplomatic staff in fragile states, and on identity-based violence and the appointment of a Minister to act as a Special Envoy on Genocide:

Diplomatic Service: Training

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide atrocity prevention training to UK embassy and diplomatic personnel based in fragile states. [HL9121] Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about UK response capabilities to overseas violence and atrocities”

Bishop of Coventry asks about refugees from Myanmar and support for Rohingya communities in Southeast Asia

On 27th October 2020 the Bishop of Coventry received written answers to questions on refugees from Myanmar and support for Rohingya communities in Southeast Asia:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide (1) funding for, and (2) technical assistance, to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Trust Fund for Humanitarian Relief Efforts to promote regional cooperation for states addressing irregular migration from Myanmar. [HL9119]

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not provide direct support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Trust Fund for Humanitarian Relief Efforts. We do however provide broader technical assistance to the ASEAN humanitarian co-ordination centre to increase humanitarian capacity and co-ordination across ASEAN member states. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about refugees from Myanmar and support for Rohingya communities in Southeast Asia”

Bishop of Durham asks Government about access to computers for home learning use

On Monday 26th October Lord Carrington asked the Government “what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 catch-up premium on disadvantaged pupils.” The Bishop of Durham asked a further question:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: My Lords, I declare my interests as set out in the register. I welcome the Government’s ongoing support of pupils through the catch-up premium and encourage the Minister to continue to give attention to disadvantaged pupils, who require significantly greater support than the average pupil. Given the specific difficulties relating to digital access for remote learning, can the Minister explain why access to computers for home use appears to have been drastically reduced just as schools have been legally required to provide online learning for those who have to stay at home? Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks Government about access to computers for home learning use”