Bishop of Gloucester asks about steps to protect the information of migrant victims of domestic violence

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the establishment of a firewall between police and immigration enforcement to protect the information of migrant victims of domestic violence on 12th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, data obtained by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner in 2023 revealed that all 43 police forces across England and Wales had shared information about victims and survivors of domestic abuse with immigration enforcement. Do the Government intend to tackle this practice by introducing a firewall?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about referrals to NHS Gambling clinics

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesties Government how many referrals were made to NHS gambling clinics in (1) 2022, (2) 2023, and (3) 2024.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about statutory right to use and access cash

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 12th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government

  • what steps they are taking to support people who rely solely on cash (1) to access cash, and (2) to access digital banking alternatives to cash.
  • whether they intend to introduce a statutory right to pay for goods and services in cash; and if so, whether this would be subject to financial limits.
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Autumn Budget: Bishop of Newcastle urges government to consider effects on vulnerable groups

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the autumn budget on 11th November 2024, urging the government to carefully consider the impact of the budget on vulnerable groups:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I feel my B in GCSE maths is challenging my ability to speak with any fiscal authority in this debate, but I am glad of the opportunity to do so. I offer my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Booth-Smith, on his excellent maiden speech and I welcome him to your Lordships’ House.

I recognise that the decisions the Chancellor has made have not been easy, but balanced alongside the Government’s long-term priorities we must consider how this Budget will serve the needs of people who are struggling today, and affect what surely must be a significant long-term ambition—perhaps I can use the word “mission”—to improve social cohesion.

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Autumn Budget: Bishop of Gloucester highlights need for reform in the criminal justice system

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the autumn budget on 11th November 2024, with a focus on reform of the criminal justice system:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I will focus on the Budget in the context of criminal justice, and declare my interest as the Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons in England and Wales.

I was encouraged to hear from the Chancellor that the Government intend to

“begin to repair the justice system”,

and I welcome the extra investment in the Ministry of Justice—although how that will be spent is vital. We need to ensure that the aim is not to finance our way out of a prison capacity crisis. Let us first address the purpose of prison and then put the resources in the right place, with a long-term vision of enabling strong and healthy families and communities. As a Christian, I hold fast to hope and transformation. Reoffending continues a pattern of broken relationships and is costly, not only to the fabric of society but in financial terms: it costs approximately £18 billion per year. Let us not increase funds simply to do more of the same, because all the evidence is that it is not working.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about calls to refer events in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of calls by Amnesty International on 24 October for the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about gambling related fines and mental health treatment

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 11th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many fines were imposed on gambling companies by the Gambling Commission for failing to meet their social responsibility obligations in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, (3) 2020, (4) 2021, (5) 2022, and (6) 2023.

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Bishop of Derby asks about improving mental health and wellbeing for young people

The Bishop of Derby received the following written answer on 11th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Derby asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce a national wellbeing measure for children to provide local authorities and national policymakers with data for the purpose of improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about challenges faced by further education colleges

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 11th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to include an assessment of the unique challenges facing further education colleges and institutions in their ongoing curriculum and assessment review.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about violence at Bedford Prison

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to tackle high levels of violence at HMP Bedford, following the Report on an independent review of progress at HMP Bedford, published on 22 October.

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