communities – Page 8 – The Church of England in Parliament

Victims and Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Manchester tables amendments to bolster victim support organisations

On 5th February 2024, the House of Lords debated the Victims and Prisoners Bill in Committee. The Bishop of Manchester spoke on two amendments he had tabled, aimed at enabling increased collaboration between statutory and community bodies in the victim support sector:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendments 56 and 59 in my name; I also support the other amendments in this group. These amendments would all help to firm up the very good intentions set out in Clauses 12 and 13.

In an earlier group, I tabled an amendment to ensure that victim support services were properly signposted; it is no use a service existing if the people it is meant to serve are not able to access it. But now we come to, if anything, a more fundamental point: how do we ensure that the right services exist for victims, and in each and every part of the country?

The Bill as drafted gets much right: it requires policing bodies, integrated care boards and local authorities to collaborate in assessing the needs of victims, producing a published strategy and, indeed, revising that strategy as occasion requires—so far, so good. But, as things stand, and as the noble Lord, Lord Russell of Liverpool, has indicated, that assessment and strategy could be little more than a combination of the unaffordable and the non-existent—a bit like an overambitious child’s Christmas wish list.

Bishop of London asks about support for those with English as an additional language to access community services

The Bishop of London asked a question on community support strategies for those speaking English as an additional language and those with disabilities on 30th January 2024, during a discussion on the impact of the local authority Household Support Fund:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, groups such as those with English as an additional language and disabled people face higher barriers to accessing local crisis support. Will the Government in their evaluation consider the strategies that are in place, or could be put in place, to ensure that those who face barriers can access local crisis support?

Bishop of Durham emphasises importance of community support for refugees

On 18th January 2024, in Grand Committee during a debate on refugee integration, Bishop of Durham gave a speech on the importance of community support for refugees, particularly in access to housing under the government’s current policy, asking whether the government would extend the current “move on” period for refugees leaving home office accommodation:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as laid out in the register.

Successful integration into life in the UK is critical for refugees to rebuild their lives, enabling society to benefit from the valuable skills that they bring as a gift to this country. However, current policy makes integration difficult, leaving them with very little support, particularly in the early period.

My friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London raised the 28-day move-on period in this House last month and in a letter to the Home Office with other faith leaders. I echo her concerns. Current policy gives refugees 28 days from the issuing of a biometric residence permit until they can no longer access asylum support and accommodation. In practice, refugees are often given much shorter notice to find accommodation and means to support themselves.

Victims and Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Manchester welcomes focus on victims and opportunity for clarified legislation

On 18th December 2023, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on the second reading of the Victims & Prisoners Bill, applauding the focus on victims and welcoming the bill as an opportunity for clarity of legislation and statutory instruments:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am grateful to His Majesty’s Government for introducing this Bill. I am also grateful that shortly we will hear a maiden speech from the noble Lord, Lord Carter of Haslemere. His long experience of the law and the Civil Service will serve your Lordships’ House well. I look forward to his remarks today and on many future occasions.

I also welcome the focus on victims that lies at the heart of the Bill. As we have just heard, it builds on the report of my right reverend friend Bishop James Jones, a former Member of your Lordships’ House, into the Hillsborough tragedy. I was a young member of the clergy called into the stadium to support bereaved families. I will never forget the sight of iron barriers twisted out of shape by the pressure of human bodies being crushed against them. Hence I warmly commend the proposal for independent public advocates in cases such as that and the Manchester Arena attack, to which the Minister referred in his opening remarks—I thank him for doing so. As Bishop of Manchester, it fell to me to help lead my city’s response to the brutal murder of 22 people and the injuring and traumatising of hundreds of others.

Victims & Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Newcastle raises potential effects on children and families, and migrant victims of domestic abuse

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the second reading of the Victims & Prisoners Bill on 18th December 2023, welcoming the bill while pointing out several areas of concern relating to children and families, migrant victims of domestic abuse, and the issue of imprisonment for public protection:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, it is a privilege to speak today, to follow the noble and learned Lord, and to be in the company of those to follow. This is an important piece of legislation. We all know that the work of delivering justice for victims does not end with this legislation. Ultimately, we all want safer communities, so it is vital that we consider what really helps to rehabilitate people in prison so that they do not offend again on release. The work of reconciliation and restoration, challenging as it is, invites us to consider deeper issues. Root and branch reform of the criminal justice system is long overdue.

There are unresolved issues with the Bill, some of which I hope will be considered in this House. I will mention four very briefly, which my right reverend friend the Bishop of Gloucester will be interested in as the Bill progresses.

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about funding to assist voluntary and charitable efforts to combat homelessness

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked a question on increased funding to assist the homeless, and to support efforts by the charitable & voluntary sector to do so, during a debate on rates of homelessness during Christmas on 18th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, like many places, Nottingham is suffering from the cost of living crisis, fuel and food poverty, a decline of social housing and a growing shortage of private rented sector properties, which is compounded by the shortfall between the local housing allowance and rents. Framework Housing Association and Emmanuel House do exceptional work, together with the city council, in seeking to help the 10,000 people on the waiting list with an unmet housing need, alongside the street homeless. But the rising demand for social care and increased homelessness have contributed to the council issuing a Section 114 notice. If His Majesty’s Government agree that the charitable and voluntary sector is such a key partner in addressing these needs, can the Minister offer more direct funding to help the homeless in cities such as Nottingham?

Bishop of Durham asks about delivering health services in disadvantaged communities

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 22nd November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to use schools and nurseries as hubs for delivering health services to support families and meet the health needs of children and young people, especially within disadvantaged communities.

Bishop of St Albans asks about dialogue among UK community leaders concerning Israel & Palestine

On 13th November 2023, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on support for community dialogue among leading Israelis and Palestinians in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, any violence and threat is to be deplored, wherever it comes from. I congratulate the police, who did a superb job in very difficult circumstances. Of course there will be groups of people pushing the boundaries and acting unacceptably. The danger of the media is that it gives the impression that the only game in town is the marches and demos, but many on these Benches and other Members of this House have been meeting leading Israelis and Palestinians in our local communities and finding that there are people desperately trying to reach out to others and thinking about how we can take this forward. What are His Majesty’s Government doing at the moment to mobilise some of our leading Israelis and Palestinians to try to enable talks about how we might find a more positive narrative as we go forward?

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Gloucester speaks on prisons and the justice system

The Bishop of Gloucester gave a speech on building community infrastructure during the Kings Speech debate on 9th November 2023, with a focus on prisons and the justice system:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is a privilege to speak in this debate and I thank the Minister for his thorough introduction.

In the Old Testament there is a beautiful vison of the prophet Isaiah of the perfect future with God:

“Never again will there be an infant who lives but a few days … No longer will people build houses for others and not live in them … People will not labour in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune”.

Whether or not you are a person of faith, I believe most of us would say yes to those words in the gracious Speech about the Government seeking, in all respects, to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations. But how will that be realised? We need interconnectedness across disparate Bills and government departments, and a commitment to the well-being of individuals, always set within the big picture of people belonging together as interdependent human beings—hence that word “community” and its importance in the gracious Speech being picked up in the themes of today’s debate.

Bishop of St Albans asks about support for regenerative agriculture and funding for local communities

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support regenerative agriculture.

Lord Benyon (Con, DEFRA): Environmental land management (ELM) is the foundation of our new approach to farming. ELM includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). This pays farmers for actions that support food production and can help improve farm productivity and resilience, while protecting and improving the environment. It will support sustainable food production and contribute towards the environmental targets set out in the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. The SFI 2023 opened for applications on 18 September 2023, and farmers who have a live SFI 2023 agreement before the end of the year will receive an accelerated payment in the first month of their agreement.

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