The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 12th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what is their timeline for the full implementation of the ATLAS caseworking system; and whether they expect it to be fully operational in 2025.
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The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at the second reading of the Education (Assemblies) Bill on 7th February 2025, affirming the benefits of collective worship while expressing reservations on the efficacy of the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I warmly welcome this debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Burt, for her introduction, as well as the other noble Lords who have spoken. I look forward to the Minister’s response.
Although I understand the intention of the Bill, it may not surprise your Lordships to hear that I will express some reservations about the proposals and say that I believe the current legislation already affords sufficient flexibility. I suspect that I may well be a lone voice in the Chamber today. I was interested to hear the noble Baroness quote my esteemed friend, the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, formerly the Bishop of Oxford. Perhaps it is good to know that there are differences of opinion among Bishops in this House.
Collective worship is a vital part of school life. It is key to fostering a sense of fellowship and cohesion; to celebrating festivals, and not just Christian ones; and to strengthening religious literacy. Importantly, the current legislation already allows schools to tailor their provision to suit their pupils’ spiritual needs, and allows schools and academies to develop their ethos and values.
Continue reading “Education (Assemblies) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford raises concerns on efficacy”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 6th January 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 25 November (HL2389), in which he says that the Home Office review into immigration detention will not assess all areas of the Brook House Inquiry, whether they intend to review the recommendations in another review or assessment, and what would the timescale be for this work.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about immigration detention review”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th December 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many conversations the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had with farming sector representatives about changes to agricultural property relief prior to the change being announced.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about changes to agricultural property relief”The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in support of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill on 13th December 2024, raising the negative impact of limited adjustment periods and the need for grace in the asylum system:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, like many others, it is a pleasure for me to speak in support of this Bill. I too pay tribute to the Private Member’s Bill in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, as well as to other campaigners who have continued to call for a longer move-on period for those newly granted refugee status.
I sincerely welcome the Government’s decision to introduce this pilot, extending the move on-period to 56 days. It is among the recommendations of the recent Commission on the Integration of Refugees, of which I was pleased to be a commissioner; I should also state my interest as a principal of RAMP. It seems only a short while ago that we were responding to the reduction of the period to seven days, soon after which refugee homelessness figures reached an unprecedented peak, accounting for 51% of rough sleepers—a near 1,000% increase between the July of that year and last autumn.
Continue reading “Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford speaks in support”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 12th December 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 10th December 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 25th November 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 14 October (HL Deb cols 17GC–20GC), when they intend to publish the terms of reference for the Home Office review into immigration detention, including Rule 34 and 35 of the detention centre rules.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about immigration detention review”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 19th November 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many asylum liaison officers are currently in post in the Home Office, and whether there are any plans for further recruitment to support newly recognised refugees through the move-on process.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about migration and refugees”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 2nd September 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to encourage sustainable packaging for all medication distributed by the NHS, including sustainable alternatives to plastic blister packs for pills.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about sustainability in medication distribution”
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