Tag: children

Bishop of Bristol speaks in debate about impact of pornography on society

On the 5th November 2015 the Bishop of Chester led a Lords debate “That this House takes note of the impact of pornography on society.” Rt Revd Mike Hill, Bishop of Bristol, spoke in the debate on how pornography impacted on the way adults and children formed relationships. The Bishop of Chester’s opening speech can also be read here.

Bishop of Bristol June 2015The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I join those congratulating my noble friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chester on bringing this debate into your Lordships’ House. I also commend his detailed knowledge of DH Lawrence. I recall that when I was in school there were merely three pages of his book that captured our attention.

Despite what my noble fiend Lord Giddens has said—and there is much sense in what he said—there is a general anxiety in our society about pornography and its impact, not just on our children and young adults but also on adult behaviour. Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol speaks in debate about impact of pornography on society”

Bishop of Chester leads Lords debate on the impact of pornography on society


On the 5th November 2015 the Rt Revd Peter Forster, the Bishop of Chester, hosted a debate in the House of Lords “That this House takes note of the impact of pornography on society.” The full text of his speeches opening and closing the debate are below, as is the speech from the Government Minister in reply. The Bishops’ speech can also be watched online here. The Bishop of Bristol also spoke in the debate and his remarks can be seen here.

Chester
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, your Lordships may feel that they have sometimes listened to a speech from these Benches and thought that the speaker is not entirely familiar with the subject. There is, of course, an old adage that generally the Bishop speaks and generally the Bishop speaks generally. I shall avoid an echo of the confessional, but I can say that my first-hand knowledge of pornography is very limited. Of the range of vices available to me, I have been tempted by most, but not in any significant way by pornography. If the statistics are to be believed, that makes me a rather unusual, if not exotic, creature.

Pornography is a very widespread feature of western society, especially since the advent of the internet age. In my ministry I have come across addiction to pornography as a factor in individual marriage breakdown. As a Bishop, I have had two of my clergy prosecuted for downloading child sexual abuse images, usually called child pornography. Both these priests were given custodial sentences and both are unlikely ever again to exercise the Christian ministry for which they were trained. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester leads Lords debate on the impact of pornography on society”

Bishop of St Albans asks about two-child limit for new Universal Credit claimants

On 2nd November 2015 the Bishop of St Albans asked the Government about the impact of the proposed two-child limit for new Universal Credit claimants.

Bishop of St AlbansLord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many families with three or more children born before 6 April 2017 they estimated would be affected by the proposed two-child limit for new claimants for Universal Credit in the calculations of the Budget policy costings for (1) 2017–18, (2) 2018–19, and (3) 2019–20.

Lord Freud: The information requested is not available for publication.

(via Parliament.uk)

Division on the Childcare Bill over funding

On 14th October 2015 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Childcare Bill at its Report stage. The House voted on an amendment from Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, which sought to delay the introduction of Government plans to double the amount of free childcare for parents of three and four-year-olds until a full analysis of the funding the policy had been carried out. An ITV news report on the vote is here.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Amendment: ‘before clause 1, to insert the new clause Funding review’.

The House divided: Contents: 222 | Not Contents: 209 | Result: Government Defeat

The Bishop of St Albans voted content. No bishop voted not content.

(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of Portsmouth asks Government about impact of tax credit cuts

On 14th of September 2015 Lord Dubs asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts in tax credits on middle- and lower-income working people’. The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, asked a supplementary question about the impact the proposed cuts would have on children.

14.04.09 Portsmouth maiden speech 1The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, bearing in mind that two-thirds of children who live in poverty are in in-work families, how will the Government monitor the impact of the proposed changes? In particular, will they review the exclusion of income-based measures from the suite of life chances indicators being brought in?

Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth asks Government about impact of tax credit cuts”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about the impact access to health services have on children in rural areas

Bishop of St AlbansOn the 10th September 2015 Baroness Tyler of Enfield asked the Government what plans they have to tackle the variations in health outcomes across the country for children aged under five. The Bishop of St Albans asked a supplementary question about the impact access to health services have on children in rural areas

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about the impact access to health services have on children in rural areas”

Bishop of Peterborough asks Government about support for disabled children at risk of sexual exploitation

On the 7th September 2015 Baroness Benjamin asked the Government ‘what steps they are taking to protect children with learning difficulties and disabilities from sexual exploitation.’ The Bishop of Peterborough the Rt Revd. Donald Allister asked a supplementary question regarding increasing therapeutic support for children at risk.

14.02 PeterboroughThe Lord Bishop of Peterborough: My Lords, given that abused children often do not show symptoms for some years, and that children with learning disabilities tend to show symptoms in different ways that are not as easily recognised, does the Minister agree that all children who are subject to sexual harm prevention orders or sexual risk orders should receive assessment of their needs and therapeutic support even before signs or symptoms are shown?

Continue reading “Bishop of Peterborough asks Government about support for disabled children at risk of sexual exploitation”

Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about protecting children from payday loan adverts

Bishop St Albans June 2015On the 21st July 2015 Lord Lennie asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘what steps they are taking to protect children from payday loan advertisements in the light of the review conducted by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice’. The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about protecting children from payday loan adverts”

Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill to protect children from harmful content online

On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Revd Christopher Foster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Baroness Howe’s Online Safety Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill and its provisions to protect children and young people from being exposed to adult content online.

14.04.09 Portsmouth maiden speech 2The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, the provisions of this Bill are an important, indeed essential, part of a robust strategy to protect young people and children from the dangers of exposure to inappropriate material. I welcome it warmly. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill to protect children from harmful content online”

Bishop of Bristol supports measures to protect children and young people from targeting by drug dealers

Bishop of Bristol June 2015On the 14th July 2015 the Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Mike Hill, spoke in support of an amendment he had co-sponsored with Lord Kirkwood to the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill, to strengthen as an offence the supply or offering to supply psychoactive substances on or near children’s homes and schools. The amendment was not out to a vote following assurances received from the Minister, Lord Bates.

Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol supports measures to protect children and young people from targeting by drug dealers”