On the 22nd June 2015 Baroness Tyler asked Her Majesty’s Government “which Minister has responsibility for family and relationship support policy; and what steps they are taking to deliver the commitment in the Conservative Party Manifesto 2015 to invest at least £7.5 million a year in relationship support.” the Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Mike Hill, asked a further question.
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Bishop of Chester asks Government about the Administrative burden on GPs
On the 22nd June 2015 Baroness Wheeler asked Her Majesty’s Government “what plans they have to increase the number of general practitioners.” The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a supplementary question about the administrative burden on GPs.
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Church Commissioner Written Questions – Church Buildings & Solar Power
On the 22nd June 2015 The Rt Hon. Caroline Spelman MP answered two written questions on behalf of the Church Commissioners, relating to solar power on church buildings and community energy generation.
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Church of England Week in Westminster 15th-19th June 2015
Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.
This week bishops in the House of Lords spoke in debates on the Government’s Childcare Bill, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the role of the armed forces, transport in the north of England and regulation of the polling industry. Bishops also asked questions on violence against women, fuel poverty, gaming machines and advertising aimed at children. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered questions from MPs on church buildings, Christians in Iran, clergy wellbeing and the diversity of Synod.
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Bishop of Derby: Opinion polls ‘more in the realm of entertainment than science’
“My opinion is that we should let the polling industry do its best. I would categorise it more in the realm of entertainment than science. It is helpful, people enjoy it and it is useful but we need a sense of proportion.” – Bishop of Derby, 18/6/15
On Thursday 18th June 2015 the Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern took part in a Lords debate tabled by Lord Lipsey, to ask the Government “whether they plan to regulate the opinion-polling industry.” He said:
The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I want to look at opinion poll industry regulation in a general way, rather than focusing on a particular case, as the noble Lords, Lord Lipsey and Lord McColl, have done.
In the spirit of the Motion I am going to offer an opinion. My first point is about opinion itself. Opinion is, by definition, fragile and changeable. It is lite—that is L-I-T-E, for Hansard—and that is very different from attitudes and prejudices, which are firm and more long-standing. We live in a time of opinion, when people just tweet things without much thought—bang, out goes the view. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby: Opinion polls ‘more in the realm of entertainment than science’”
Bishop of St Albans asks Government about fuel bill home budgeting
On Thursday 18th June the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question to Government on fuel bills and Fuel Direct.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the affordability of a standard Fuel Direct rate of £3.70 for direct payments for arrears on fuel bills; and whether in setting that rate they considered (1) allowing some customers to pay a lower rate of direct deduction, and (2) allowing customers to pay by Fuel Direct for ongoing bills when they are not in arrears. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about fuel bill home budgeting”
Church Commissioners’ Questions: church buildings, Christians in Iran, clergy wellbeing, General Synod diversity
On 18th June 2015 the Rt. Hon Caroline Spelman MP answered questions from MPs as Second Church Estates Commissioner. Mrs Spelman, who was answering questions for the first time since taking on the role, was asked about improving the sustainability of church buildings, Christians in Iran, the wellbeing of clergy and the diversity of the General Synod of the Church of England. Mrs Spelman also paid tribute to the former Second Church Estates Commissioner the Rt. Hon Sir Tony Baldry and expressed sympathy for the Methodist Church in South Carolina following the recent tragic shootings.
The full text is available below and a video link is also available, here
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Bishop of Southwark calls on Government to invest in peacekeeping and post-conflict role of armed forces
On Wednesday 17th June 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion in the name of Lord Sterling of Plaistow “to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the current defence budget is sufficient to enable the Armed Forces to meet the needs of the United Kingdom’s long-term foreign policy.” The Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, spoke in the debate, highlighting the need to resource conflict resolution and post-conflict stabilisation in Syria and other parts of the region.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I too welcome this debate and thank the noble Lord, Lord Sterling, for securing it. With the strategic defence and security review we have an opportunity for a wider debate on the politics of defence that might help to reshape our understanding of the purpose and task of our Armed Forces. The fundamentals that have underpinned UK foreign policy and defence spending in the past will need to be adapted to the changed circumstances we face, especially in the Middle East and our European neighbourhood. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark calls on Government to invest in peacekeeping and post-conflict role of armed forces”
Bishop of Derby asks Government about transport infrastructure and investment in the East Midlands
On Wednesday 17th June 2015 the House of Lords debated a Government motion in the name of Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon “that this House takes note of transport connectivity and infrastructure in the north of England.” The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, spoke in the debate, highlighting transport, infrastructure and investment questions for the east Midlands and Derby diocesan area.
The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I, too, thank the Minister for his clear, optimistic and encouraging introduction, and associate myself with the noble Lord, Lord Prescott, and his desire for this to proceed quickly and effectively. I declare an interest in that I come from Derby in the east Midlands, so I feel a bit like an interloper in this debate about the north—although part of our diocese is the Peak District, which may just qualify as the north. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks Government about transport infrastructure and investment in the East Midlands”
Bishop of St Albans asks Government about regulating complaints about adverts aimed at children
On Wednesday 17th June 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written reply to a question to Government about regulating advertising to children.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Impact Report 2015 by Bye Buy Childhood, what plans they have to work with the regulators to strengthen penalties against companies who repeatedly have complaints about their advertising upheld. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about regulating complaints about adverts aimed at children”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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