The Bishop of London received the following written answers on 20th July 2021:
The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government, further to reports that long-COVID disproportionately affects women, what consideration they have given to the production of gender-sensitive guidelines for primary care professionals.
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The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 15th July 2021:
The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to collect, and (2) to report, data on the number of people affected by long-COVID alongside the data on hospitalisations and death.
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about data on long-COVID”On 8th July 2021, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Selaine Saxby MP (Con, North Devon): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of (a) the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on church parishes and (b) the support that dioceses will require to (i) recover and (ii) ease the legal and administrative burdens experienced by those parishes as a result of that outbreak.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: COVID-19, Vaccinations”Following a government update on COVID-19 in the UK on 6th July 2021, the Bishop of Rochester asked a question about regulations surrounding communal worship and singing in schools and religious settings:
The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, while there continue to be understandable anxieties and not least concerns about potential pressures on the NHS, many will welcome the prospect of the removal of restrictions on gathering in a range of settings including, I note, for communal worship, singing and performances. Given the move from rule and regulation to guidance and good sense, do Her Majesty’s Government intend to issue any guidance specific to places of worship and in relation to communal singing in settings such as community choirs, other choral groups and schools, or is that to be left to the good sense of those responsible?
Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester asks about coronavirus regulations affecting communal singing and places of worship”The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate in response to cuts to overseas aid on 1st July 2021, criticising the decision to reduce aid at a time when many countries are experiencing negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and calling for the cuts to be reversed:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, these cuts raise profound ethical questions as the world faces the worst pandemic in over a century. Despite all the talk of global Britain, these cuts shout out that we are withdrawing from the world stage. Here we are, planning booster vaccinations in the UK this autumn, while only 0.9% of people in low-income countries have received even one dose. Covid is a global problem, and it is made worse when essentials such as clean water and basic health programmes, often provided by British aid, are cut.
Yesterday, I met the ambassador of Ethiopia, who spoke with grave concern about the cut in aid to Ethiopia, which is likely to be by more than 50%. Currently, less than 2% of its population is vaccinated, and it faces a third wave while simultaneously managing the fallout from the conflict in Tigray and famine due partly to war and partly to the swarms of locusts.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans criticises cuts in global aid amid COVID-19 pandemic”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on prioritising children’s voices on 1st July 2021, during a debate on the effects of COVID-19 on education:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: Throughout the pandemic there has been a noticeable lack of briefings aimed specifically at children and a great absence of their voices. I was glad to host an event for MPs and key leaders in Gloucestershire where all the input came from young people. Can the Minister give an assurance that, in looking at the impact of Covid on the lives of children, it is they who will be asked and heard?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about prioritising the voices of children in conversations on the impact of COVID-19”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on whether the government would provide an opportunity for the House of Lords to hold a debate on the effects of COVID-19 on the government’s levelling-up agenda on 1st July 2021, during a debate on addressing discrepancies in life expectancy and public health in deprived areas:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: In the light of Sir Michael Marmot’s report, will the Minister commit to providing an early opportunity for this House to debate the impact of Covid-19 on Her Majesty’s Government’s much-advertised agenda for levelling up, particularly relating to children and young people in those regions with the greatest level of deprivation?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about effects of COVID-19 on the levelling-up agenda”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the COVID-19 regulations around singing during worship on 30th June 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, bearing in mind that on Monday in the other place the new Health Secretary said he hoped that church congregations would soon be able to sing together, could the Minister please give us some clarity on this and say what plans the Government have now to review the research on congregational singing with the use of face coverings, given that singing is not an add-on to worship but integral to it?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about regulations around singing during worship”On 24th June 2021, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:
Tim Farron MP (LD, Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the Commissioners have had with the Government on the potential merits of reconsidering guidance on sung worship in churches from 21 June 2021 as covid-19 restrictions are eased.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Collective Worship”The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the issue of strongly held religious beliefs against vaccination on 23rd June 2021, during a discussion on a Commons Urgent Question on the COVID-19 Events Research Programme:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Church of England has adopted a clear policy on encouraging people to be vaccinated. However, at the same time, like many organisations, we cater for a variety of people, some with strongly held ethical convictions and objections to the vaccine, covering issues from animal testing to the use of aborted foetal cells. What plans do Her Majesty’s Government have to uphold freedom of religion and belief and offer an alternative to vaccine certification for religious events?
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