Sustainable Development Goals – Bishop of St Albans calls for a new moral vision

“I believe that the time is ripe for a new moral vision of the one world in which we all live, not just because it is morally right that we should do that but because, frankly, it is in our interests.” – Bishop of St Albans, 16/6/15

On Tuesday 16th June 2015 the Lords debated a motion by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale “to ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their priorities for the Sustainable Development Goals to be agreed by the United Nations in September.” The Bishop of St Albams, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke in the debate.

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord McConnell, for securing for us this opportunity to debate this important area.

As we mark the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta this week, we are reminded that some ideas, initiatives or visions take a long time to come to fruition. Sometimes, all that one generation can do is to plant the acorn and it is for subsequent generations to appreciate the fully grown oak tree. Continue reading “Sustainable Development Goals – Bishop of St Albans calls for a new moral vision”

Childcare Bill – Speech by Bishop of Durham

“On behalf of the well-being of the children themselves, if we are going to make this increase in provision, which I am sure we will and indeed should, let us try to ensure that all the regulations that follow place the child at the centre, not the adults, whether those adults be the parents, the providers or the politicians.” – Bishop of Durham, 16/6/15

On Tuesday 16th June 2015 the House of Lords debated the Government’s Childcare Bill. Details about the Bill can be seen here. The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, spoke in the debate, raising concerns related to funding, capacity, pay and putting the needs of children first. The full text of his speech is below, with extracts from the Minister’s reply, and can also be watched on the Parliament website here. 

14.06.10 Bishop of Durham 5The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, in welcoming the general intent of this Bill, I wish to raise a number of concerns. It seems to me that there are already several common threads in what is being said. It may well be that they will be addressed—they will need to be—in the secondary legislation, but to be able fully to support the Bill I believe this House needs some assurances regarding these concerns. In raising them, I wish to point out that I have consulted some who are engaged in this work already, and also those for whom it is intended to be a benefit—parents and, indeed, grandparents. Continue reading “Childcare Bill – Speech by Bishop of Durham”

Bishop of Birmingham asks Government about action to prevent violence against women

On Tuesday 16th July 2015 Baroness Gale asked Her Majesty’s Government “what measures they are undertaking to ensure that women who have suffered domestic violence and abuse have access to the legal and emotional support they may require.” The Bishop of Birmingham, Rt Revd David Urquhart, asked a supplementary question.

01.04.14 Bishop of BirminghamThe Lord Bishop of Birmingham: My Lords, domestic violence against women is one of the largest abuses of women, not just in the UK but in the world. I would be interested if the Minister commented on the Government’s commitment to reaching such a diverse range of women, in spite of their ethnic background, religion or location, over the next few years. Continue reading “Bishop of Birmingham asks Government about action to prevent violence against women”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about reducing stakes for fixed odds betting terminals

On Tuesday 16th June 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on gaming machines.

Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans

Bishop of St Albans

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of reducing the maximum stake for fixed odds betting terminals from £100 to £2.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about reducing stakes for fixed odds betting terminals”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about fuel poverty

On 15th June 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received two written answers from Government to questions about the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

Bishop St Albans June 2015Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans:

(1) To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to providing eligible families with the Warm Home Discount automatically.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about fuel poverty”

Church of England Week in Westminster 8th -12th June 2015

Welcome to the Church of England’s weekly round-up of activity in Parliament.

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This week bishops in the House of Lords led a debate on the House of Bishops’ Pastoral Letter for the 2015 General Election, spoke on the Government’s Cities & Local Government Devolution Bill and in a debate on empowering women in the developing world.  Bishops also asked questions on right to buy and religious freedom in Saudi Arabia. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered written questions on female and LGBT clergy numbers, and asked a question about bats in churches. The Archbishop of Canterbury preached the sermon at the service to mark the opening of the new Parliament. Continue reading “Church of England Week in Westminster 8th -12th June 2015”

Empowering women in the developing world – speech by Bishop of Derby

On 11th June 2015 Lord Loomba led a debate in the House of Lords entitled “That this House takes note of the case for empowering women, including widows, in the developing world in order to aid conflict resolution and the long-term sustainability of more stable societies.”  The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, spoke in the debate.

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I, too, want to thank Lord Loomba for securing this debate and giving us this chance to discuss with the Minister and the Government our priorities and contribution to these issues across the world.

We all know that there is a strong link between the well-being of women and girls and peace, security and development. It is in our UK national plan and is a very big part of my own experience. I am privileged to be a trustee of Christian Aid, and we deliberately prioritise investment in women and girls to secure the transformation and development of needy societies. Within my own Anglican tradition, the Mothers’ Union Worldwide does amazing work in places such as Rwanda, empowering women to transform communities. In my diocese, we have an annual harvest appeal and, for the last several years, have invested in helping women in Delhi set up recycling businesses and, this year, helped educate girls and women in Angola. It is right on the forefront of making a difference. My work on the Modern Slavery Bill opened my eyes to the appalling international abuse and oppression of women through sexual violence and exploitation. Continue reading “Empowering women in the developing world – speech by Bishop of Derby”

Bishop of Rochester on the role of churches, voluntary and community groups in building the common good

On 11th June 2015 the Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd James Langstaff, spoke during the House of Lords debate on the Bishops’ Pastoral Letter for the 2015 General Election. The text is below and the speeches of others in the debate can be read here. 

Bishop of RochesterThe Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, I, too, am grateful to my friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans for initiating this debate, and the opportunity to reflect on the House of Bishops’ pastoral letter, which, although issued in the context of an election, was written in the hope that it would provide an ongoing stimulus to thinking and reflecting on the shape of our society and the kind of society that we wish to be. Not least, it will provide something of a challenge to the churches, to which it is primarily addressed, but to others also, to discover afresh something that is a treasure and very much part of our story. Reference has been made to Magna Carta, and as Bishop of Rochester I would be remiss not to remind noble Lords of the existence of the Textus Roffensis, which predates the Magna Carta, although it is not quite so long, and which also merits celebration. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester on the role of churches, voluntary and community groups in building the common good”

Bishop of St Albans leads debate on civil society, the common good and the Bishops’ General Election pastoral letter

“I am convinced that there is urgent work to be done to establish a new politics that seeks the common good. Indeed, I am keen that we will be able to explore the forms that such an approach to politics might take and the role that churches, charities and voluntary organisations, and indeed all intermediate institutions, can play in moving us in that direction.” – Bishop of St Albans, 11/6/15

On the 11th June 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, led a House of Lords debate on the pastoral letter of the House of Bishops for the General Election of 2015. The debate was titled:

‘That this House takes note of the role played by civil society, in the light of the pastoral letter from the Church of England’s House of Bishops, Who is my neighbour?’

The Bishop’s speech is below in full, along with his closing remarks and links to the speeches of the other 16 participants.The speech and subsequent debate can also be watched here.

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, there is much in our nation for which we can be profoundly grateful. Next week, as we mark 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta, we give thanks for the long, yet sometimes tortuous, path that has led us to becoming a modern democracy. That moment was if not the birth then perhaps at least the conception of civil society at the beginning of a long gestation.

Last month, we celebrated 70 years of peace since the end of the Second World War, by which time civil society as we know it today was coming of age. As a nation, we have experienced extraordinary levels of economic growth over recent decades. Life expectancy has increased significantly and, importantly for this debate, in many communities in our nations, civil society is still strong and thriving. I for one am immensely grateful to be living in modern Britain and do not want to give any time to sentimental talk about a bygone era that probably never existed. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads debate on civil society, the common good and the Bishops’ General Election pastoral letter”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about religious freedom in Saudi Arabia and case of Raif Badawi

On the 11th June 2015 Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government “what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the confirmation of a sentence of 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison against Raif Badawi.” The Bishop of St Albans , Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, your Lordships’ House will not be unaware of the discrepancy between the attitude to human rights displayed in Saudi Arabia’s public condemnation of the Charlie Hebdo atrocities and this case, where somebody is being punished on the basis of religion. Does the Minister agree that there is a considerable dissonance between the public image that Saudi Arabia is seeking to present and the country’s internal affairs?

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: My Lords, I think we have to recognise that the actions of the Saudi Government in these respects have the support of the vast majority of the Saudi population. Against that background, we maintain our view that freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression are core rights that lead to long-term stability and good governance.

(via Parliament.uk)