Peers back call by Bishop of St Albans for Government to cut stakes on betting machines without delay

On 10th July 2018 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a question he had tabled to Government about the date for bringing in the promised reduction in stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals. The Bishop of Chester also asked a follow-up question and a full transcript of the exchanges is below:

Gambling: Fixed-odds Betting Terminals
Question

Asked by the Lord Bishop of St Albans:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the stake on fixed-odds betting terminals will be lowered to £2. Continue reading “Peers back call by Bishop of St Albans for Government to cut stakes on betting machines without delay”

Bishop of Chester pays tribute to Lord Carrington

On 10th July 2018 the House of Lords paid tribute to the late Lord Carrington. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, paid tribute on behalf of the Lords Spiritual:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, from these Benches I endorse all that has been so eloquently said about this remarkable man. I shall add two more local footnotes. The family home of Lord Carrington is in Bledlow in Buckinghamshire. He never made anything of this but he would open his gardens every year, and over his lifetime more than £100,000 was raised for local charities. That is the sort of man that he was. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester pays tribute to Lord Carrington”

Bishop of Durham says support for community in Salisbury and Amesbury as important as support for local economy

durham-230117On 9th July 2018 Baroness Williams of Trafford repeated a Statement updating the House on the Amesbury incident which the Home Secretary had previously made in the Commons. The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, responded to the Statement:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, as it happens, over the weekend I was talking to a member of the clergy who is a resident of Salisbury. I simply asked her how it feels, and she said, “Grim and deeply disturbing”, because of the second occurrence. She said that people were just beginning to come out of this and now they do not know how to react. She was talking about community life, businesses and so on. In exploring support for businesses, does the Minister understand that this feels like a double hit for people in Salisbury, and that community encouragement and up-building is needed, not simply economic support? I ask this largely in the name of my noble friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Salisbury. Continue reading “Bishop of Durham says support for community in Salisbury and Amesbury as important as support for local economy”

Week in Westminster, 2nd-6th July 2018

This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on the NHS, social care funding, the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, lifelong learning and skills, and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act. They asked questions about EU migration, sentencing of female offenders, and NHS data records. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 2nd-6th July 2018”

In debate on NHS at 70 Bishop of Carlisle highlights importance of public health and spiritual care

On 5th July 2018 Lord Darzi of Denham led a debate to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS, “That this House takes note of the creation of the National Health Service in 1948, and the case for integration of health, mental health, social and community care to equip the National Health Service for the next 70 years.” The Bishop of Carlisle, Rt Revd James Newcome, who is the lead bishop for healthcare, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, I too am most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Darzi, for securing this timely debate. On the one hand, I am grateful because it is an opportunity to recall and be thankful for the establishment of the NHS in 1948 as one part of a comprehensive vision of social welfare—which, incidentally, owed much to the insight and energy of Archbishop William Temple and other Christian thinkers and activists. Temple and Beveridge were close friends, and much of the post-World War II vision that led to the creation of the welfare state by Bevan and others emerged from church-led consultations. Continue reading “In debate on NHS at 70 Bishop of Carlisle highlights importance of public health and spiritual care”

Bishop of Rochester highlights social care challenges for prisons, and role of voluntary sector

On 5th July 2018 Baroness Brinton led a debate on the question to Her Majesty’s Government, “what steps they are taking to ensure that social care in England is adequately funded.” The Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd James Langstaff, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I too join in with the general rejoicing on this the 70th anniversary of the NHS, but as others have observed, I am glad that this debate has been brought forward by the noble Baroness because it is a necessary counterpoint to that. I join the noble Lord in expressing slight surprise ​at how few people have wanted to contribute to this debate, but that does give those of us who are speaking a little longer to do so.

As the recent National Audit Office report, referred to by the noble Baroness, into the interface between health and social care indicates, the two areas are inextricably linked. Indeed, the dividing line can be quite hard to define, and that is one of the difficulties. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester highlights social care challenges for prisons, and role of voluntary sector”

Bishop of Oxford on importance of lifelong learning and skills in response to technological change

Oxford 5718bOn 5th July 2018 Baroness Bakewell led a debate on the motion “That this House takes note of part-time and continuing education, and in particular the future of the Open University.” The Bishop of Oxford, Rt Revd Steven Croft, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, like others, I warmly welcome this debate and thank the noble Baroness, Lady Bakewell, for introducing it so ably. Student numbers in part-time education are moving dramatically in the opposite direction to the one I am sure we all want to see, potentially with really dangerous consequences for our economy and society. Continue reading “Bishop of Oxford on importance of lifelong learning and skills in response to technological change”

Bishop of Oxford asks Government about use and handling of NHS data records

On 5th July Baroness Thornton asked Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they will take to ensure that National Health Service patients have equitable access to the benefits of (1) artificial intelligence, (2) genomic medicine, (3) new drugs, and (4) innovative treatments.” The Bishop of Oxford, Rt Revd Steven Croft, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, the Question also asked about artificial intelligence. Can the Minister comment on the steps being taken to improve data transfer across different NHS trusts, and standardisation? Are steps being taken to ensure the ethical release of data for research purposes? Continue reading “Bishop of Oxford asks Government about use and handling of NHS data records”

Bishop of Rochester on the role of faith-based organisations in South Sudan

17.10 RochesterOn 4th July 2018 Lord Curry of Kirkharle led a debate in the House of Lords, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address the current humanitarian crisis in South Sudan and to support the delivery of a lasting peace settlement and longer term economic and social development.” The Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd James Langstaff, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Curry, for bringing forward this debate, I apologise to your Lordships for scurrying in slightly late at the beginning, having been taken short, as it were, by the rapidity of the previous business.

A year or more ago, I was passing through Nairobi airport, dressed not quite like this but recognisably as a bishop. A gentleman also clad in a purple shirt was approaching down a corridor. Both of us having time to spare before our flights, we fell into conversation. My new friend was a bishop from South Sudan and was on his way home after a meeting of Church leaders from across Africa—from places of conflict and from places that were recipients of refugees from those conflict areas. Our conversation was one that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life, I suspect, as he shared with me the reality of existence in his diocese. He and his colleagues had been discussing the Church’s role in peacemaking and reconciliation in those settings.

Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester on the role of faith-based organisations in South Sudan”

Bishop of Gloucester asks if enough attention is given to prison alternatives when women are sentenced

On 3rd July 2018 Baroness Burt of Solihull asked Her Majesty’s Government “how they will ensure that provision for women in the prison system is properly funded, following their decision to abandon plans for five community prisons for women in England and Wales.” The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I am grateful that Her Majesty’s Government do not intend to open new women’s prisons, as has been said, and I am grateful for the assurance that more money will be put into women’s centres. However, what work will be done to ensure that those who sentence know what is actually available in the community? Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks if enough attention is given to prison alternatives when women are sentenced”