Bishop of Coventry asks Government about repatriation of British children of Daesh supporters

Coventry171123 bOn 15th July 2019 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written answer from the Government, to a question about the repatriation of children of British citizens who left the country to join ISIL:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: HL16788 To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the recent statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 24 June, what plans they have to repatriate the children of British citizens now held in Iraq and Syria as a result of their parents’ involvement with Daesh. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about repatriation of British children of Daesh supporters”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about response to report on transplant abuse

180416 CoventryOn 15th July 2019 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written answer from the Government in reply to a question about forced organ harvesting:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: HL16786 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Final Judgment of the Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting, published on 17 June; and what actions they plan to take in response to that Judgment. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about response to report on transplant abuse”

Bishop of Chelmsford speaks in debate on religious persecution, welcomes Foreign Office report into persecuted Christians

On 11th July 2019 Lord Elton led a debate in the House of Lords  “That this House takes note of the extent of persecution of people of faith in this century.” The Bishop; of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Elton, for this opportunity to examine the extent of persecution of people of faith. I will not repeat the heart-breaking stories of the terrible atrocities that besmirch our world, but they are of course the day-to-day reality for so many people of faith. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, and others for telling those stories—they need to be heard.

The diocese I serve as Bishop of Chelmsford covers east London and Essex and contains some of the most diverse and rapidly changing communities in our land. Here, faith leaders and grassroots worshippers from all religions are engaged in some of the most humbling and encouraging initiatives to hold fast to that most irreducible of godly virtues: peace. Although east London is often a place where bridges are built, sadly, it is also too often an arena where the backwash from religious intolerance, persecution and strife from around the world is felt. We are a global village, but sadly we are also a global playground where much cruelty and intolerance go unchecked.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks Government about help for vulnerable people in debt due to benefit fraud

Chelmsford310119bOn 10th July 2019 the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions made a statement on universal credit fraud. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, asked a  question:

Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: I ask the Minister for a bit of clarification. I do not pretend to understand all the ins and outs of this, but I see a lot of suffering, which now seems to be added to by crime. On the one hand, it is good to hear that it is less than 1%, but that would be no consolation for me if I was one of those people who now has to pay back for the fraud perpetrated against me by someone else. I am sorry if I did not understand the answer. I suppose I am asking the Minister to explain what help those victims will get in the terrible situation they find themselves in.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks Government about help for vulnerable people in debt due to benefit fraud”

Bishop of Chelmsford asks Government about education as means to tackle violence based on religion or belief

chelmsford170119bOn 10th July 2019 Baroness Berridge asked the Government  “what plans they have to recognise the newly designated United Nations Day for commemorating the victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief on 22 August”. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, perhaps I may say that, on behalf of many of us, we welcome the Government’s support for this day, although we hugely grieve for the fact that such a day is necessary. One of the best ways that we will tackle continuing violence, based on religion or belief, in the long run will be through education. I wonder whether Her Majesty’s Government are planning or investing in the training of educators and religious leaders from countries where there are high levels of freedom of religion or belief violations, so that we can promote respect and peaceful coexistence. This would be a very profitable investment.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks Government about education as means to tackle violence based on religion or belief”

Bishop of Leeds asks Government about Palestinian Statehood

18.12.05 Leeds Brexit deal debateOn 10th July 2019 the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, received a written answer from the Government, in reply to a question about Palestinian statehood:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: HL16761 To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will now recognise Palestinian statehood, following the launch of the United States’ Prosperity to Peace initiative.

Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds asks Government about Palestinian Statehood”

Bishop of Durham asks Government for response to report on children’s experiences of the hostile environment’

Durham161117On 9th July 2019 the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, led a debate in the House of Lords on the question to Government,  “what assessment they have made of Project 17’s report Not Seen, Not Heard: Children’s experiences of the hostile environment”:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I am delighted to introduce this debate on Project 17’s report, Not seen, Not heard. In doing so, I draw attention to my interests as listed on the register and, in particular, to the research support I receive from the Good Faith Partnership’s RAMP project on immigration policy.

In this report, Project 17 highlights the way that vulnerable families and children are trapped between overstretched local authorities and punitive immigration controls. As with the ongoing harm caused by the two-child limit, it seems that cost-cutting and punitive notions of control are prioritised over the flourishing and protection of families. We need a radical change of direction away from seeing vulnerable children as a burden. Like many in this Chamber, I believe that a policy built on the gift and voices of children is not a naive aspiration but the very definition of good policy.

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Bishop of Birmingham highlights potential legacy for young people from Birmingham Commonwealth Games

Birminghamsizedebate171219bOn 9th July 2019 the House of Lords considered amendments to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill.  The Bishop of Birmingham commented on amendments:

The Lord Bishop of Birmingham: My Lords, perhaps I may comment on one or two of these amendments in one go. I was delighted to hear the enthusiasm for Birmingham. The noble Lord, Lord Rooker, did not say where he had been on holiday, but I hope he will choose Birmingham on a future occasion.

The things I would like to comment on in slightly more detail arise in particular in Amendment 5. Perhaps I may take the chance to commend the Minister and the Government, and the co-operation that there has been with local authorities and the local committee in getting the Games up and running in very short order. Time, energy, skill and money have been committed to make them a success.

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Bishop of Chelmsford calls for legal definition of child criminal exploitation

chelmsford170119bOn 9th July 2019 Lord Kennedy of Southwark asked the Government “what is their response to the report by The Children’s Society, Counting Lives: responding to children who are criminally exploited, published on 5 July”. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, following up on that last question, the grooming patterns of children and young people, whether for sexual exploitation or criminal exploitation, are almost exactly the same. It took us ages to achieve a proper definition of exploitation of children in the sex industry. We should not make the same mistake again. It seems that what we need to do, and I ask the Government to consider this, is create a legally binding definition of child criminal exploitation that makes it absolutely clear that the vast majority of these children, some as young as 10 years old, are victims.

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Bishop of Coventry asks Government about plight of Uighur Muslims in China

Coventry171123 bOn 8th July 2019 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written answer from the Government, about the Uighur Muslims in China:

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: HL16787 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of China on the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China; and what plans they have to ensure that the human rights of Uighur Muslims are protected. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about plight of Uighur Muslims in China”