Bishop of St Norwich asks about assistance for faith groups working in conservation and environmental restoration

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 6th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what financial assistance they are providing to support projects undertaken by faith groups and others to support ecosystem conservation, protection and restoration internationally.

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Bishop of Bristol asks about entries on the Historic England “Heritage at Risk” register

The Bishop of Bristol received the following written answer on 20th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Historic England register Heritage at Risk, published on 9 November, what steps they are taking to support, repair and maintain new entries on that register.

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Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill

On 13th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the Report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the Bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of St Albans asks about conservation plans under Retained EU Law Bill

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th June 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what are their current plans for exercising powers to be granted to them under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Repeal) Bill in relation to the Habitats Directive.

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Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich supports amendments protecting ancient woodlands

On 3rd May 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill in committee. The Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Baroness Young of Old Scone which would require consultations to take place on developments affecting ancient woodlands:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: My Lords, I too add my support for the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady Young, and pay tribute to the work she has done in this area. I declare an interest as someone who grows trees and has contributed to the green canopy project in Suffolk. We managed to plant 1.3 million trees under that auspice, which was more than a third of the national total. We were completely committed through various networks of people to this and, indeed, to the preservation of ancient woodlands.

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Bishop of Carlisle asks about changes to the Localism Act for national parks

On 18th January 2023, the Bishop of Carlisle asked a question on changes to the Localism Act 2011 to better enable national parks to engage in conservation:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, some of our national parks believe that they could better address climate and nature emergencies if they were added to the list of authorities which have a general power of competence under the Localism Act 2011. Can the Minister tell us whether His Majesty’s Government have any plans to bring that about?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about the retained EU Law Dashboard (REUL)

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th July 2022:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government why (1) the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (No. 1012), and (2) the Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (No. 579), are not included in the Cabinet Office’s Retained EU Law dashboard.

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Environment Bill: Bishop of Manchester urges increased protection for ecological sites

On 13th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the third day of the report stage. The Bishop of Manchester spoke in the debate, advocating for limits on government powers to reduce terms of protection for ecological sites:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I draw attention to my interest as a Church Commissioner, as set out in the register, and I wish to support what the noble Baroness just said: 30 years is rather a short period of time. I am grateful for the way the Minister, in proposing Amendments 86 and 88, is showing us the possibility of some flexibility in the future, but may I just tempt him a little further?

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The Second Church Estates Commissioner Leads Debate on Impact of Bats in Churches

“This is a serious problem; it is not a joke. The issue is getting more difficult, more frustrating and more challenging for more communities all the time, and we look to the Minister and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to come forward with practical proposals to ensure that churches and communities can worship and flourish unimpeded by bats.”

On the 25th June 2013 in Westminster Hall, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Sir Tony Baldry, led a debate on the issue of bats in churches and the impact of the EU habitats directive. Sir Tony described the negative impact that bat populations can have upon artefacts within churches and also the health threat that they pose to members of the congregation.

14.03.20 WH debate

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