On 6th March 2018 the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, received an answer to three written questions on Child Tax Credits, following up written questions asked in January and February.
Bishop of Coventry receives response to written questions about freedom of religion and belief
On 5th March, the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth, received answers to two written questions on Freedom of Religion and Belief:
Bishop of St Albans receives written answer about the incarceration of a British citizen in the US
On 5th March, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer from the Government about the incarceration of a British citizen in America:
Bishop of Leeds emphasises need for accurate language in response to statement about the EU
On 5th March the Lord Privy Seal, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, made a statement on the UK’s future economic partnership with the European Union. The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, responded with a concern about the language used:
Archbishop of York contributes to EU Withdrawal Bill debate
On 5th March peers debated the EU Withdrawal Bill on its fourth day at Committee Stage. The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd John Sentamu, spoke in the debate about reciprocal rights:
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Bishop of Rochester asks Government about support for released female offenders
On 5th March, Baroness Burt of Solihull asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘what assessment they have made of the suitability of bids for replacement services for women prisons made following the closure of HM Prison Holloway.’ The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Revd James Langstaff, asked a follow up question: Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester asks Government about support for released female offenders”
Week in Westminster, 26th February – 2nd March 2018
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in a debate on facial recognition technology and asked questions about disabled access, minimum unit pricing for alcohol, immigration detention, support for students with learning disabilities, and free school meals for children in poverty. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 26th February – 2nd March 2018”
Time to recognise mothers’ names – Bishop of St Albans and Caroline Spelman
The following article was published in the Church Times on 2 March 2018:
Time to recognise mothers’ names
Our Bill will right an injustice and lessen clergy burdens, say Alan Smith and Caroline Spelman.
THE current system of marriage registration contains a clear and historic injustice. Only the couple’s fathers’ names are formally recorded when the marriage is registered. This practice, unchanged since 1837, means that mothers are systemically overlooked on a day that celebrates the creation of a new family.
We have, therefore, chosen to introduce identical Bills in the House of Lords and the House of Commons to ensure that mothers’ names are equally recognised when marriages are registered (News, 2 February). MPs from all main parties have supported calls for reform, and a 2014 petition asking the Government to include mothers’ names received more than 70,000 signatures.
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Bishop of St Albans asks for wider debate on use of facial recognition technology
On 1st March 2018 Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb led a debate in the House of Lords on her question to Her Majesty’s Government ‘what proposals they have for the use of facial recognition technology in security and policing.’ The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke in the debate:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, for this debate. My guess is that most of us see some very useful ways in which this technology can be used, but many people are also concerned that it may have other uses as well, which they are less keen on. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks for wider debate on use of facial recognition technology”
Bishop of Salisbury asks Government about standards of disabled access
On 28th February 2018, Baroness Deech asked Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they have taken to address the criticism in the 2017 report of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the lack of obligatory and implemented accessibility standards in the United Kingdom, in particular in relation to transport and the physical environment.” The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, asked a follow-up question:
The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: Does the Minister agree with the UN committee’s concern that not enough is being done to apply the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to involve disabled people themselves in decisions that affect their lives? What have the Government heard from disabled people themselves about the impact of austerity on their access to the physical environment and to housing, transport, information and other services? How will the Minister respond to disabled people’s concerns about the UK’s increasing non-compliance with existing legislation affecting their access to these things—for example, our meeting the obligation to carry out impact assessments and gather statistics about policies likely to have a disproportionately negative impact on disabled people?
Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury asks Government about standards of disabled access”
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