On 26th & 27th October 2015 the Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, received written answers from Government to questions on benefit fraud.
The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reports of benefit fraud have been submitted to the Department for Work and Pensions between 2010 and the most
recent date for which figures are available. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks questions about benefit fraud”
On 27th October 2015, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from the MP for Peterborough, Stewart Jackson, about land for housing development near Peterborough. Continue reading “Church Commissioners asked about land for housing”
On 26th October 2015 the House of Lords debated at Second Reading the Government’s Bank of England and Financial Services Bill. The Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Rev Christopher Foster, made a short speech welcoming any measure that would promote diversity in the financial services sector, including credit unions.
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, this Bill offers an important way to confirm the Government’s commitment to promoting real diversity in the financial services sector. I want to make a very brief contribution in support of such diversity. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth asks Government to support credit unions and diversity in financial services sector”
On 26th October 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion to approve the Government’s Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.
Alongside the motion to approve the House also considered four amendments to the motion, from Liberal Democrat, Crossbench and Labour Peers and one from the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Rev Christopher Foster. Continue reading “Divisions – Tax Credit Regulations”
“Employers who have already adopted a living wage policy have lifted thousands of people out of working poverty. They are not claiming tax credits because they have been lifted out. The Exchequer could gain up to £4.2 billion a year in increased tax revenues and reduced expenditure on tax credits. That is a much neater way of doing it.“- Archbishop of York, 26/10/15
On 26th October 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion to approve the Government’s Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.
Alongside the motion to approve the House also debated four amendments to the motion, from Liberal Democrat, Crossbench and Labour Peers and one from the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Rev Christopher Foster. Continue reading “Archbishop of York speaks against Government proposals on tax credits”
“I fear that the introduction of these regulations will push a significant number of hard-working although low-earning families to breaking point.” – Bishop of Southwark, 26/10/15
On 26th October 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion to approve the Government’s Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2015. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark speaks against Government proposals on tax credits”
“I say to the Government that these proposals are morally indefensible. It is clear to me and, I believe, many others, that these proposals blatantly threaten damage to the lives of millions of our fellow citizens.“- Bishop of Portsmouth, 26/10/15
On 26th October 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion to approve the Government’s Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.
Alongside the motion to approve the House also debated four amendments to the motion, from Liberal Democrat, Crossbench and Labour Peers and one from the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Rev Christopher Foster. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth puts motion to regret Government changes on tax credits”
On Monday 26th October 2015 the Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, was introduced to the House of Lords by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London.
The first female bishop to take her seat in the Lords under the terms of the 2015 Lords Spiritual (Women) Act, her introduction was met with applause by those present. Pictures of the introduction are below and a video of the short ceremony can be viewed here.
Continue reading “In pictures: Introduction of the Bishop of Gloucester”
“This is not about money or business; it is about abused and oppressed human beings” – Bishop of Derby, 23/10/15
On 23rd October 2015 the House of Lords debated the Advertising of Prostitution (Prohibition) Bill, a private member’s bill tabled by the Conservative Peer, Lord McColl of Dulwich, that would prohibit the advertising of prostitution. The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, spoke supportively in the debate. The Bill was given a Second Reading by Peers and will progress to its committee stage.
The Lord Bishop of Derby: I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord McColl, and thank him for introducing the Bill and for his important work in this important area. I will make a couple of points about the context and about the issue that we are debating.
First, there is the scale of it. I was at a lecture on Saturday where somebody explained that demand for the purchase of sex increased enormously in the 1990s with the increasing availability of online pornography. The statistics went from one in 20 men buying sex to one in 10. That is a massive increase in the market. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby supports Bill to prohibit the advertising of prostitution”
Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.
This week, bishops in the House of Lords spoke on the bishops’ letter to the prime minister on refugees, the role of church schools, Article 18 religious freedom, end of life care, armed forces reservists and prostitution. Questions were put to Government on the minimum wage, benefits, young people’s mental health, steel plant job losses and gangmasters licensing. Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 19th-23rd October 2015”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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