Bishop of St Albans asks Government about link between fixed odds betting terminals and rise in violent crime at betting shops

On 20th October 2016, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a question in the House of Lords about steps being taken to prevent those at risk of gambling-related harm. His follow up question and those from other members of the House are below:

St Albans 2The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to protect those at risk of gambling-related harm.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Lord Ashton of Hyde) (Con): My Lords, the Government are committed to ensuring that people are protected from being harmed or exploited by gambling and that those who require treatment receive it. The industry is required to contribute towards research, education and treatment programmes to prevent gambling harm. The majority of provision for treatment is through responsible gambling trusts and the funding of organisations such as GamCare, which provides helpline and counselling services. Local treatment can also be found through GPs and NHS clinics.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: I thank the Minister for his Answer. Gambling-related harm is not restricted to people with problem gambling—it affects family, it affects friends, it affects even people who work in gambling shops. I recently put in a freedom of information request to the Metropolitan Police which revealed that since 2010 there has been a 68% rise in violent crime associated with betting shops across the capital. In the light of that, will the Minister tell the House what assessment the Government have made of the link between this rapid rise in violent crime associated with betting shops and the increase in the number of fixed-odds betting terminals in those shops? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about link between fixed odds betting terminals and rise in violent crime at betting shops”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about case of Asia Bibi

St Albans 2On 20th October 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question of Government about the case of Asia Bibi in Pakistan.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan about the imminent appeal hearing for Asia Bibi at the Pakistani Supreme Court on the charge of blasphemy. [HL2175] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about case of Asia Bibi”

Bishop of Derby: participants in Fit for Work Scheme are assets with gifts and contributions to make

 

On 19 October 2016 Lord Luce led a short debate in the House of Lords on a question: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made with the Fit for Work scheme in enabling those with long-term health problems like chronic pain to return to or stay in work.” The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, made a speech:

Derby 191115cThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Lord, Lord Luce, for introducing this debate with his characteristic mastery of the territory, context and issues.

I shall look at the progress of the Fit for Work scheme. As the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, hinted, there has been a lot of negativity. I remember that when it was first introduced the press called it a test about whether people were fit for work. There have been pilots and a lot of chunter about the slow development of the rollout. We need to remember that it is a huge shift for the medical professional, employers and employees, and we need to encourage the Government to look carefully at the rollout to see what can be learned as it unfolds. As the noble Lord, Lord Fink, mentioned, there may be issues about how small businesses can access this opportunity. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby: participants in Fit for Work Scheme are assets with gifts and contributions to make”

Votes – Investigatory Powers Bill

On 19th October 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Investigatory Powers Bill during its Report stage. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by the Liberal Democrats. Introducing the amendment, Lord Paddick said “it seeks to remove internet connection records from the type of communications data that can be acquired in bulk.” Continue reading “Votes – Investigatory Powers Bill”

Investigatory Powers Bill – Bishop of Chester speaks on amendment on bulk retention of internet connection records

On 19th October 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Investigatory Powers Bill at its Report Stage. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, spoke during debate on a Liberal Democrat amendment. Introducing the amendment Lord Paddick said “it seeks to remove internet connection records from the type of communications data that can be acquired in bulk.” 

14.03 Bishop of ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I am sure we do not want to prolong this debate. As I said on Monday, I was a member of the pre-legislative scrutiny group. You might wonder why a Bishop was invited to be part of that exercise, but I think it was because of this point—the ethics of interference with privacy. I am sorry that the discussion so far has almost become too polarised, because the noble Lord, Lord Paddick, is making a serious point, which I demonstrate by quoting David Anderson in his evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights. Continue reading “Investigatory Powers Bill – Bishop of Chester speaks on amendment on bulk retention of internet connection records”

Bishop of Leeds speaks about the importance of peace and stability after the EU Referendum

Leeds160620On 18th October 2016, Lord Collins of Highbury asked the government what assessment they have made of the potential effect on peace and stability in Europe and around the world of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. The Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, spoke in the debate about the importance of continued interdependence for peace and stability.

The Lord Bishop of Leeds My Lords, recognising that this debate and that to come on Thursday belong together, although I cannot be here on Thursday, I offer this statement by the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann in a book that I finished reading on the train today:

“A free society is not an accumulation of independent individuals; it is a community of persons in solidarity”.

I quote this because the same might equally be applied to nations. It bears repetition that the language and discourse of the referendum—shamelessly, in my view, fuelled by misrepresentations and misleading promises, now apparently acceptable in a so-called “post-factual” world—paid little or no attention to the needs or securities of our international neighbours. They focused purely on the national interests of Britain, as if we can live in isolation or that we can be secure without ensuring the security of our neighbours. I invoke the poet John Donne: in a globalised world, Britain cannot simply see itself as an island. Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds speaks about the importance of peace and stability after the EU Referendum”

Votes – Children and Social Work Bill

On 18th October 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Children and Social Work Bill at its Report Stage. The Bishops of Chester and Leeds supported an amendment from the Earl Listowel to improve the support available for care leavers. The Bishop of Chester’s speech is here. Continue reading “Votes – Children and Social Work Bill”

Children and Social Work Bill: Bishop of Chester supports amendment to provide assistance to care leavers.

ChesterOn 18th October 2016, the House of Lords considered the Government’s Children and Social Work Bill at its Report Stage. The Bishop of Chester spoke in support of an amendment proposed by the Earl of Listowel aiming to improve support for care leavers.

 

The Lord Bishop of Chester My Lords, I add my strong support for the amendment, which was moved by the noble Earl with a mastery of succinctness and clarity across the issues he covered, backed up by the other noble Lords who spoke. There are powerful arguments for the amendment.

We have just been talking about the importance of relationship education and support. That is exactly what care leavers typically do not have—by definition, if you like. Think of the degree of support that your Lordships have had to give to your children at the age of 19 to 24 and beyond. I see some smiles on your Lordships’ faces, and I could smile myself and put a price tag on it. It does not exactly run into millions of pounds, but it feels like it. Continue reading “Children and Social Work Bill: Bishop of Chester supports amendment to provide assistance to care leavers.”

Bishop of Chester asks Government about health spending on HIV prevention

ChesterOn 18th October 2016, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath asked the Government whether NHS England is informing patients that lifesaving drugs will be denied them if funding has to be made available for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a follow up question. 

Votes – Investigatory Powers Bill

On 17th October 2016 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Investigatory Powers Bill at its Report Stage. The Bishop of Chester took part in two votes on amendments to the Bill tabled by the Liberal Democrats on retention of internet records. Continue reading “Votes – Investigatory Powers Bill”