Bishop of Birmingham affirms commitment of bishops to oppose antisemitism, adopt IHRA definition and its examples

On 13th September 2018 the House of Lords debated a motion from Lord Popat, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to reassure the Jewish community over the impact of anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom.” The Bishop of Birmingham, Rt Revd David Urquhart, spoke:

The Lord Bishop of Birmingham: My Lords, as we have heard, there is a need for constant vigilance to ensure that antisemitism plays no part in the life of our country. To continue its determination in this aim, the College of Bishops of the Church of England, building on 75 years of friendship marked by the founding of the Council of Christians and Jews, has adopted and adhered to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, including all examples without qualification or exception. This is in the context of our conviction, which I trust will be affirmed today by Her Majesty’s Government, that anyone involved in political, spiritual or national life should reject all language and activity that leads to prejudice, stigma or hatred towards people on the grounds of their religion, culture, origins, identity or beliefs. This includes issues related to those we are discussing today, such as Islamophobia. Continue reading “Bishop of Birmingham affirms commitment of bishops to oppose antisemitism, adopt IHRA definition and its examples”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans for Commission for Countering-Extremism

On 13th September 2018 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on the Commission for Countering-Extremism.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:  To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the (1) work programme, (2) remit, and (3) terms of reference, of any studies by the Commission for Countering-Extremism. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans for Commission for Countering-Extremism”

Bishop of St Albans suggests steps to tackle social harm caused by problem gambling

On 12th September 2018 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke in a House of Lords debate tabled by Lord Broooke of Alverthorpe “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the trends in different types of addiction in England and Wales.” He focused his comments on gambling addiction and the steps needed to address the social harm being caused.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Brooke, for raising ​this issue and to the noble Lord, Lord Chadlington; I wish to address the same area, but he has done it with eloquence and passion. I will try not to repeat the arguments he made, although there may be a little bit of duplication.

Gambling addiction is now a major public health issue in the UK. We have an estimated 430,000 problem gamblers. As well as the huge financial cost to us as a nation, which falls on the taxpayer, it is affecting other areas of life. Last week, for example, Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, spoke of the huge additional burden it is putting on the NHS; some estimate that it is costing the NHS £610 million per year at a time when budgets are really stretched. But this is not about the financial costs alone. Gambling addicts have higher rates of separation and divorce than the general population, and higher levels of homelessness. Problem gambling affects all age groups, but particularly large numbers of children are either at risk or designated as problem gamblers. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans suggests steps to tackle social harm caused by problem gambling”

Bishop of Gloucester leads debate on positive impact of women’s centres in the justice system

On the 12th of September The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, Bishop of Gloucester, led a debate in the House of Lords on a motion ‘to ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of women’s centres to improve outcomes in the justice system’.  Her speech introducing the debate,  and the response of the Minister, are reproduced below. The speeches by other Members contributing to the debate can be seen at Parliament.uk 

Gloucester071117 bThe Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is a great honour and privilege to introduce this debate. I thank all noble Lords who have agreed to contribute to it; I am especially grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Sater, for choosing to make her maiden speech in it. I know that her extensive experience in business and the charitable sector, as well as her time working on the Youth Justice Board and as a magistrate, will inform many excellent contributions to this House. I look forward to her speech. Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester leads debate on positive impact of women’s centres in the justice system”

Bishop of St Albans calls for regulation of gambling advertising and levy on firms to to fund addiction treatment

On the 12th of September the Rt Revd Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans, asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the increasing prevalence of gambling advertising.” The exchanges and follow-up questions from other Members can be seen below:St Albans 2

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the increasing prevalence of gambling advertising, as reported in the Gambling Commission’s ‘Review of online gambling’, published in March.

Viscount Younger of Leckie(Con):…My Lords, the growth of online gambling has seen increased advertising for these products on TV and in social media. There are strict controls on the content and targeting of gambling advertising. A survey of evidence found that its impact on problem gambling was likely to be ​relatively small. We have set out a range of measures to strengthen protections further, including new guidance and research and tougher sanctions for breaches of the advertising codes. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans calls for regulation of gambling advertising and levy on firms to to fund addiction treatment”

Archbishop of Canterbury’s speech at the TUC

On 12th September 2018 the Archbishop of Canterbury addressed the Trade Union Congress at their annual conference.

A transcript can be read here.

Bishop of St Albans’s article: Enough is enough – gambling advertising is out of control

The following article by the Bishop of St Albans  appeared on the Politics Home website on 12th September 2018:

Gambling advertising is out of control – I know it, parents know it and it’s about time the government get to know it. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans’s article: Enough is enough – gambling advertising is out of control”

Bishop of Gloucester Times article: Women’s centres give non‑violent offenders a chance for success

The following article by the Bishop of Gloucester appeared on The Times Red Box website on 12th September 2018:


Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester Times article: Women’s centres give non‑violent offenders a chance for success”

Bishop of Birmingham on importance of commemorating anniversaries of D-day and the Battle of Arnhem

On the 11th of September Lord Black of Brentwood asked Her Majesty’s Government “what plans they have to commemorate the 75th anniversaries of D-day and the Battle of Arnhem in 2019”. The Rt Revd David Urquhart, Bishop of Birmingham, asked a follow up question focusing on the importance of educating young people about past events in an effort to promote peace in the future.Birminghamsizedebate171219b

The Lord Bishop of Birmingham:…My Lords, I do not have to declare such a close interest in the name Urquhart as the noble Lord across the Chamber, but I bear the same surname. These events were some time ago. In addition to the very important commemorations which the Church and other faiths fully support and participate in, I encourage the Minister to talk to colleagues in the Department for Education to ensure that they live on in the memory and experience of our young people, so that they understand—particularly in the light of current world events—the consequences of keeping the peace and the mobilisation of great forces. Continue reading “Bishop of Birmingham on importance of commemorating anniversaries of D-day and the Battle of Arnhem”

Bishop of Chester asks Government to clarify appropriate use of term ‘victim’, in response to statement on new Victim Strategy

On 10th September 2018 a statement was repeated in the House of Lords about the Government’s victims strategy. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, responded to the statement with a follow-up question:  

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I wholeheartedly endorse and support what has been said about this strategy. I know from my pastoral work how the effects of crime can resonate throughout people’s lives, not least when it comes to sexual abuse that happened a long time ago. Nevertheless, can the noble and learned Lord comment on the term “victim” and when its use is appropriate and when it is not? Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks Government to clarify appropriate use of term ‘victim’, in response to statement on new Victim Strategy”