The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 23rd January 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what representations, if any, they intend to make to the government of Iran concerning the execution sentence of Pakhshan Azizi.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about status of political prisoner in Iran”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 23rd January 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of research by Cambridge University and Fudan University showing a link between social isolation and the increased risk of heart disease, stroke and infections; and what steps they intend to take to address loneliness in the UK.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of loneliness on health conditions, and benefits of strengthening advertising regulation”
On 22nd January 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Mental Health Bill aiming to ensure culturally appropriate care in the mental health sector:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group. I also want to communicate the support of my right reverend friend the Bishop of London, who apologises that she cannot be in her place this evening.
Turning to the amendments led by the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, on culturally appropriate care, I appreciated the noble Baroness’s references to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. I have worked with that community much over many years and very much enjoyed my interactions with it.
These amendments highlight issues that my right reverend friend has spent a lot of time considering, particularly from a faith perspective. I do not think we have heard that in the debate so far tonight. It is sometimes hard to grasp just how differently our health, especially our mental health, is culturally understood across different communities and faith groups. While our ability to discuss our own and others’ mental health may be generally improving—I think it is—it remains an extremely difficult discussion point for many cultures and many communities.
Continue reading “Mental Health Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on culturally appropriate care”
The Bishop of Manchester responded to a government statement on Ukraine on 22nd January 2025, stressing the need for building community and civil society connections:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I hope the thin attendance tonight does not mean that we in the United Kingdom are losing interest in Ukraine, especially when I think of the huge number that gathered in Westminster Hall when President Zelensky came and spoke to us, and when many of us went across and sat in the Gallery in the other place when he spoke on a Zoom-type link in the early days of the conflict.
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester responds to statement on Ukraine”The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for hospital services in Gaza on 22nd January 2025, during a discussion on the recent ceasefire in the conflict:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the United Society Partners in the Gospel, one of the oldest Anglican global mission agencies. One of our key partners is the al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza, a hospital that the people of that area rely on pretty well entirely now for any healthcare they can get. Most of the hospital has been destroyed—both the library and the historic church are now in use as wards. What assurances can the Minister give us about how we can get aid into the hospital, so that the people of northern Gaza, no matter how long the ceasefire lasts —I hope it will become permanent, but for the time being—will be able to get the medical help they need? Over 1,000 emergency patients are being admitted every day.
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about hospital services in Gaza”The Bishop of Manchester urged the government to consider re-funding the Inter Faith Network on 22nd January 2025, during a discussion on extremism and community engagement:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, a decision under the previous Government about a particular Islamic organisation being characterised as extremist led to the defunding and collapse of the national Inter Faith Network. I wonder if the Minister agrees that the Inter Faith Network provided a vital role in co-ordinating interfaith work at a national level. We do great things at local level, but we need some national work as well. Will he urge His Majesty’s Government to commit to refunding the Inter Faith Network?
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester urges re-funding of the Inter Faith Network”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd January 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will take steps to inspect and take into custody uninsured tankers sailing through UK waters.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about uninsured tankers in UK waters”The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the balance between right to protest and ability to operate and access services on 21st January 2025, following a government statement on the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to ask questions on this Statement, particularly as the noble Lord, Lord Mann, who is sitting behind me, raised issues of anti-Semitism. In Manchester, where I live among a very large Jewish community, it is an ongoing issue that we are always very sensitive to.
We have heard a lot about free speech, which, unsurprisingly, I am in favour of, and of difficult conversations from the noble Lord, which, again, I am in favour of. But sometimes the language shades over into what can only be called mob intimidation. It is about how we make that distinction between a difficult conversation and people being intimidated by loud, vociferous, angry behaviour that seeks deliberately to make them uncomfortable.
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about right to protest and service operation”On 21st January 2025, the House of Lords debated the Data (Use and Access) Bill in the first day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.
The Bishop of Manchester asked about the role of places of worship in taking part in the warm welcome campaign on 21st January 2025, following a government statement on health and social care in winter:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, the nurse who was attacked and injured at work recently and who has been kindly mentioned several times already today is a member of one of our Oldham congregations. I assure your Lordships’ House that she and her family remain very much in our prayers in Manchester.
Research by the National Churches Trust published last year shows that the ministry of the UK’s church buildings saves the NHS £8.4 billion every year. Church projects help keep many people out of hospital; they support others when discharged. Other faith communities do similar work and many of them do it in partnership with us.
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about warm welcome campaign”
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.