The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Albans asks about communication with coroners following deaths related to gambling

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 25th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that relevant information is shared with coroners investigating gambling-related deaths regarding concerns identified and action taken by the Gambling Commission during the period being investigated at inquest.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about support for families engaging in guardianship and adoption

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 25th March 2025:

The Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:

what steps they are taking to support families who are seeking therapeutic support from the adoption and special guardianship support fund beyond the financial year 2025–26.
what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of making the adoption and special guardianship support fund permanent. [HL5669]

Bishop of Manchester asks about situation in the West Bank

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the situation in the West Bank on 24th March 2025, following a government statement on the conflict in Gaza:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: I am very grateful for the Statement that was brought to this House today. From these Benches, I echo the comments that noble Lords have made about the fact that Hamas must have no part in any future government of the Palestinian territories or any future Palestinian state. Every time the situation in Gaza has become more warlike, under the fog of that war there have been atrocities committed in the West Bank. Some of the more extreme settler movements are trying to oust Palestinian farming families from territories that everybody accepts are theirs by right. What can His Majesty’s Government do to ensure that we do not lose sight of the West Bank at this time when, quite rightly, there is a proper focus on Gaza?

Votes: National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill

On 24th March 2025, the House of Lords debated the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Bishop of Gloucester asks about licence conditions for those under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on communication around termination of licence conditions during a discussion on those under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences on 24th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, taking into account what has been said already, I welcome the enactment of the provisions in the Victims and Prisoners Act, passed by the last Government, allowing termination of licence conditions for IPP prisoners. However, there are huge legal complexities involved, so I wonder what steps the Government are taking to ensure that those eligible to terminate their licence conditions actually understand their rights and are able to exercise them.

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Young People

On 24th March 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:

Church of England: Young People

Jim Shannon MP (DUP, Strangford): To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to encourage more young people to attend places of worship.

Bishop of London asks about Tell Us Once bereavement service

The Bishop of London received the following written answers on 24th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of London asked His Majesty’s Government:

what steps they are taking to produce a timeline for conducting a review of the Tell Us Once service.
further to the remarks by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 3 December 2024 (HL Deb col 395GC), what steps they are taking to upgrade the legacy technology systems in order to extend the operation of the Tell Us Once scheme in the future.

Bishop of Southwark asks about release of prisoners in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 24th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan for the release of prisoners in Nagorno–Karabakh.

Bishop of Leeds asks about British child in Ukraine

The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 24th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government:

what discussions they have had with the government of Ukraine regarding the wellbeing of Solomiya Spence who was taken to that country by her mother in July 2024.
what support they are providing to Ian Spence regarding his daughter Solomiya who was taken to Ukraine by her mother in July 2024.

Bishop of St Albans asks about gambling marketing and regulation

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 24th March 2025:

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

what assessment they have made of the gambling industry’s spending on advertising, sponsorship and marketing, including online forms of advertising and marketing such as content marketing.
what specific consideration they have given to the impact of gambling advertising, sponsorship, and marketing on children and young people.
what assessment they have made of the gambling industry’s self-regulation practices in relation to gambling advertising, sponsorship, and marketing.

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