The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 30th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what their policy is for licensed but undeveloped sites for offshore oil and gas drilling, and whether they plan to implement a moratorium on issuing of development consents for those sites.
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The Bishop of Newcastle tabled a question on government steps to educe the number of young people not in employment, education, or training on 29th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education, or training.
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The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on treatment of religious minorities in South Asia on 28th October 2024, highlighting the treatment of these minorities in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the global responsibility to safeguard freedom of religion and belief:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, for securing this important debate. I also commend the work of my right reverend friend the Bishop of Winchester, who works tirelessly on the issue of freedom of religion or belief. He expresses his regret that he could not be here to contribute to today’s debate. It is an honour to follow the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, who ordained me as a deacon in Oxford nearly 20 years ago.
As outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, freedom of religion or belief is a foundational right. A denial of FORB is often a warning sign for challenges and human rights troubles to come. The UK must therefore continue to reaffirm its commitment to FORB, particularly concerning regions where increasing threats to this foundational right are present. South Asia is home to a rich mosaic of religions. However, the religious diversity in this region is being undermined, and I draw your Lordships’ attention to just two countries by way of illustration.
Continue reading “Bishop of Newcastle speaks in debate on treatment of religious minorities”The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on support for children’s homes in the north of England on 28th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, at the last count in March 2023, 41% of children’s homes in England were located in the north of England. What steps are the Government taking to provide additional support to areas of the country where there is a disproportionately higher number of children in the care home and care system?
Continue reading “Bishop of Newcastle asks about support for children’s homes”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 28th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the performance of the rural economy compared to that of other countries in Europe.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about the rural economy”On 25th October 2024, the Bishop of Leicester took part in a debate on the situation in Ukraine, promoting the use of the Ukraine scheme as a model to foster a sustainable way of welcoming all refugees and compassionately supporting their integration in the wider community:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, it is a sad truth that as wars go on, public attention often dissipates. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and other noble Lords for reminding us that while coverage of the war in Ukraine has waned, daily suffering there has not, so our moral responsibility continues.
While others have focused on this responsibility in terms of military support, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on another very important and positive aspect of our response to the war, in the hope that the new Government will build on its successes. As noble Lords will be aware, the Ukraine family scheme and the Ukraine sponsorship scheme, set up in March 2022, were two of the only legal routes for people seeking asylum in the UK. More than 200,000 visas were issued to Ukrainians, and thousands of families from across the political spectrum offered their homes to those fleeing the war.
Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester encourages government to support interculturalism and welcome refugees, as demonstrated by the Ukraine scheme”On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of Lincoln took part in a debate on the contribution that special needs schools and specialist education colleges make to the education sector, urging the government to support and fund special needs schools and to consider facilitating the creation of Church-based specialist schools:
The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Baroness Monckton, for securing this debate and offer my admiration for her commitment and eloquence in this field.
I formerly served as the chair of the National Society, as the lead bishop for education. In that capacity, I was given a very wide view of the brilliant provision that is made where specialist schools and colleges exist. I can point to such a school in north Wiltshire where teachers were so dedicated they were prepared to face a 150-mile round trip every day to serve in that special place.
I am also the bishop for the L’Arche community in the UK. With the Church of England, L’Arche, as part of its vision, seeks to educate people to live well together in a community. That seems to me something that is—or should be—a special part of any school, not least our special schools.
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On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of London took part in a debate on state funding of hospices, emphasising that more funding is needed to prioritise and support hospices, palliative care and palliative care research:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for introducing this debate. I declare my interests as outlined in register, particularly that I am patron of Hospiscare in Exeter.
I suspect there has never been a more important moment in time to discuss the funding of the hospice sector, which is facing extreme challenges. It is also important to remember that hospices deliver excellent care to a significant number of people who are dying well. However, according to Hospice UK, the sector is facing the worst financial crisis in more than 20 years.
Continue reading “Bishop of London emphasises more funding needed for hospices, palliative care and palliative care research”On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of St Albans took part in a debate on the impact of the climate agenda on jobs, growth and prosperity, urging the government to consult farmers in the pursuit of the climate change agenda and pledge a renewed and improved agricultural budget of at least £4 billion per year:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, for securing this important debate. I am looking forward very much to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady May, who I know will bring great insight and experience to your Lordships’ House. I declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition.
We need to take climate change extremely seriously. I commend the previous Government, and indeed some of the plans of the present Administration, for the steps they have taken and are taking. I support the plea by the noble Lord, Lord Lilley, for open and transparent costs of net zero so that we can make informed choices; that seems fundamental to all that we do in every part of our work. Other noble Lords will be able to speak in a more informed way than I can about the positive impact that net zero can have on the economy, not least in terms of jobs in new and emerging sectors such as renewable energy. It will also offset the negative economic impacts that climate change brings with it, such as droughts, pollution and ill health.
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