Tag: Chelmsford

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about plans to improve quality of housing in the UK

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on government plans to improve the quality of existing housing in the UK on 11th January 2024, during a discussion on the government’s long term plan for housing:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, the Archbishops’ Commission on Housing, Church and Community recommended that the Government adopt a long-term plan to address the scale of the housing crisis in the UK. I am glad to see that they have adopted the language of long-termism, as the UK’s housing has been held back by short-term planning and decision-making for far too long. However, I believe that such a plan must be holistic, taking into account all elements that make up a good housing strategy, with consideration of both new builds and existing buildings. What plans do the Government have to improve the quality of the homes that we already have, for example by undertaking a programme to upgrade EPC ratings, or by equalising the rate of VAT on repairs for existing houses with that for constructing new homes?

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Bishop of Chelmsford reiterates calls for rediscovery of standards in public life

On 11th January 2024, the Bishop of Chelmsford spoke during a debate on Parliamentary Democracy and Standards in Public Life, reiterating the Archbishop of Canterbury’s call for a rediscovery of standards:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, like others, I contribute to this discussion with a great amount of feeling, because the debate goes right to the heart of the integrity of public institutions, including both Chambers of our Parliament. After Sue Gray’s report on parties in Downing Street during lockdown, my most reverend friend the Archbishop of Canterbury described standards in public life as

“the glue that holds us together”

and called for a “rediscovery” of these standards. That was in May 2022, but since then, it can feel like little has changed.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about use of force by immigration authorities

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question about appropriate monitoring of the use of force against those detained under immigration regulations, particularly children and vulnerable adults, during a discussion on the inquiry into conditions at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre on 11th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, the inquiry found that the inappropriate use of restraint and force on detained persons suffering from mental illness was common at Brook House, with healthcare staff unaware of their responsibilities to monitor the welfare of detained persons during use of restraint. Regardless of this information, the Illegal Migration Act allows for the use of force against even children across the detention estate. What steps will be taken to ensure that the use of force is continually monitored and recorded for all detainees, but particularly vulnerable adults and children, to ensure that what occurred at Brook House is never allowed to happen again?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about provision of cots for families in social housing

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on provision of cots for families in temporary and social housing on 10th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: May I say on behalf of these Benches, too, how pleased we are to see the noble Baroness back in her place. We know that cots are extremely important for the health and well-being of babies and young children. What is the Government’s policy on the provision of cots to those in social housing? The charity Justlife states that around 25% of temporary accommodation falls under the purview of the social housing regulator. With nearly 140,000 children living in temporary accommodation in England alone, what steps are being taken to ensure that cots are provided for families in temporary accommodation under the purview of the social housing regulator?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about funding for delivery of social housing

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase grant funding for social housing delivery to reflect the decrease in the number of planning applications being made, and a probable decrease in the number of section 106 social homes being built as a result.

Baroness Penn (Con, Department for Levelling-up, Housing & Communities): The provision of affordable housing is part of the Government’s plan to build more homes and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks for VAT change to help cost of restoring older buildings

On 14th December 2023 the Bishop of Chelmsford asked the following question to Government:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford, To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the sustainability and quality of existing buildings, including by cutting value added tax to incentivise building repairs and maintenance.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about ending the freeze in Local Housing Allowance

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 12th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of ending the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates before April 2024.

Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con, DWP): As announced by the Chancellor in the recent Autumn Statement, the Government will be investing £1.2 billion in 24/25 increasing LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This is a significant investment of over £7 billion over the next five years.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about monitoring of funds to refugees allocated by Rwanda under new treaty

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on the government’s treaty with Rwanda, on whether the monitoring committee outlined in the treaty would review how funds have been allocated to meeting the needs of refugees by Rwandan authorities:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, will the monitoring committee, as outlined in the economic development partnership and now the treaty, review how funds have been allocated by the Rwandan authorities towards meeting the needs of refugees?

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Bishop of Chelmsford raises need for affordable and sustainable housing for families during Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate on the work of the Families & Households Commission and the “Love Matters” report on 8th November 2023, bringing up the need for stable and affordable housing:

My Lords, I too thank my most reverend friend the Archbishop of Canterbury for securing this important debate. Love Matters is, as noble Lords have already remarked, impressive for its scale and breadth. Covering subjects from tackling child poverty to valuing single people in our churches, the report is able to draw some creative links across a range of topics.

Today, however, given my role as the lead bishop for housing in the Church of England, I want to focus my remarks on the report’s findings on bricks, mortar and the communities that well-designed, affordable housing can foster. It is in houses and flats that families and households of different shapes and sizes are built, and housing which, done right, creates homes and can enable the health and prosperity of those who live in them. I want here to thank in particular the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for his valuable contribution on housing-related issues in this debate.

Noble Lords will know that this report is the last in a series of three. The first, published in 2021, was on the work for which I am now responsible: housing, church and community. I cannot take any credit for the report itself, but I am delighted to be involved in that work. The report, to which the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury has already referred, was called Coming Home, and it recommended, among other things, that housing needed to be stable, affordable and of high quality to enable people to put down roots and build healthy lives, families and neighbourhoods.

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Bishop of Chelmsford tackling issues of mould and damp in social and privately rented accommodation

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to tackle the issue of damp and mould in homes with children in (1) the social rented sector, and (2) the private rented sector.

Baroness Penn (Con, Department for Levelling-up, Housing & Communities): Damp and mould can have a serious impact on children’s health and it is unacceptable for anyone to have to live in such conditions.

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