The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 17th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of Israel regarding the Protection of Israeli Public Officials from the Action of the International Criminal Court in The Hague against the State of Israel Bill 2024.
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The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answers on 17th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support people in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq who are internally displaced because of the threat posed by Daesh.
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The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 17th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government, following the recent announcement of the diversion of funds from the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to the defence budget, whether they plan to decrease the proportion of ODA spent on in-donor refugee support.
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The Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Palestine (Statehood Recognition) Bill, a private member’s bill tabled by Baroness Northover, on 14th March 2025, supporting the bill and stressing the need for the UK to support an independent Palestine and the principle of equality for all:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I declare an interest in that I am a patron of the charity Embrace the Middle East. I am also a regular visitor to the region and last visited in June, spending time particularly in the West Bank. As Palestinians shared stories from the past and the present. I was really struck by the absence of hope, the absence of a vision for the future and the focus on simply trying to survive the present.
It is poignant that today is the Jewish festival of Purim, wonderfully marking the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation. It is a stark reminder that all people are equal and, I would add, created in the image of God.
We must go on naming the abhorrent attack on Israel by Hamas. We remember all those who grieve and live with trauma, and of course those who continue to be held hostage and must be released. At the same time, we must not become dull to the horrors of the war in Gaza. All people are equal.
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On 14th March 2025, the Bishop of Manchester’s private member’s bill, the Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill, had its third reading and passed through the House of Lords:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as this will be my last opportunity to address your Lordships’ House on this Bill, I crave your indulgence for a couple of minutes. There are something like 92,000 care leavers in the 18 to 25 age bracket at any one time. While it is hard to be precise about how much this Bill would cost, the best estimate is that it would probably add something like £25 million a year to the total costs on the Government. That would enable a young care leaver who is in receipt of universal credit to get an extra £80 a month, which is 25% more than they currently get. It would be life-changing for them. It would make, I would argue, very little difference to the state of the nation’s finances.
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The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 14th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the peace and reconstruction plan for Gaza that was endorsed by the Arab League summit on 4 March.
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The Bishop of Lichfield spoke in a debate on integration and community cohesion on 13th March 2025, emphasising the importance of reaching across barriers and the role of education in promoting community cohesion:
The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: My Lords, I sincerely thank the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, for securing this important debate. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Raval, on his excellent maiden speech, and I look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Rook. I thank the noble Lord for all the work he has done over the years with the churches, including the Church of England, in which he is an ordained priest, and with communities of other faiths. I commend his tireless advocacy, as a key adviser to the Government, of the important role that faith plays in the life of our country. I know that his vast experience and expertise, and that of the noble Lord, Lord Raval, will add great value to this House.
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The Bishop of Lichfield asked a question on government plans for consultation with Muslim communities and wider society in providing a definition of Islamophobia on 13th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: My Lords, I welcome the Government’s launch of a new working group to provide a definition of Islamophobia. I ask the Minister: whom does this group plan to consult, both within and beyond the Islamic community, to inform that definition and ensure that it accounts for the lived experience of the Muslim community?
Continue reading “Bishop of Lichfield asks about consultation on new definition of Islamophobia”The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 13th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the likely impact of the Associations Bill (Amendment—Donation from Foreign State Entity) 2024, currently before the Knesset, on the United Kingdom’s overseas development assistance to Israeli and Palestinian human rights organisations.
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The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 13th March:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to tackle drug-related crime in rural communities.
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab, Home Office): The Government recognises the considerable impact of drug use and dealing on individuals, families and communities in rural and urban constituencies. Tackling this is a vital part of our missions to deliver safer streets and improve health outcomes, and that is why we are taking a collaborative, cross-government approach to drugs at a national level.
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