coronavirus – Page 6 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Rochester asks about difficulties associated with COVID-19 vaccination certification schemes

The Bishop of Rochester asked a question on the potential difficulties associated with vaccination certification on 29th April 2021, during a discussion on possible government plans to to introduce COVID-19 status certification for (1) international, and (2) domestic, use.

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, in relation to some of the issues raised, the Minister may well already be aware of the expert working group of the Ada Lovelace Institute on some of these practical and ethical considerations. While personally I see the need for schemes of this kind—for international travel, obviously, but also in relation to some activities and sectors—will Her Majesty’s Government, in assessing the various pieces of work now being done, have a particular concern to make sure that no scheme becomes compulsory vaccination by default and to mitigate dis- proportionate effects on groups within the population such as those within which vaccine take-up has been low?

Bishop of London asks about development of community kitchens to combat obesity

The Bishop of London asked a question on the potential for school kitchens to be used as community kitchens to tackle obesity in underserved areas on 21st April 2021, during a debate on reported correlations between obesity rates and COVID-19 deaths:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the reduced use of school space during lockdown highlighted an opportunity for us to make use of school kitchens as community kitchens. This holds real potential for addressing multiple issues such as poverty, obesity, lack of food or loneliness, all at one time. Will the Government consider supporting school kitchens to become community kitchens when not in use by students in order to tackle obesity in underserved neighbourhoods where people often have limited choices in their nutritional options?

Bishop of London asks about steps to ensure deprived communities are not unduly effected by COVID-19

During a discussion on COVID-19 on 20th April 2021, the Bishop of London asked a question on the difficulties of addressing the effects of COVID-19 in deprived communities, particularly in regards to vaccines:

The Lord Bishop of London: I am sure the Minister knows that those from deprived communities are more likely to catch Covid-19, be admitted to ITU and to die from the disease. They are also less likely to take up a vaccination. Could the Minister update us on action by the Government to ensure that Covid-19 does not continue to be a disease of poverty?

Bishop of Gloucester speaks in debate on building an inclusive society

The Bishop of Gloucester took part in a debate on building an inclusive society in a post-pandemic world on 14th April 2021, speaking on the topics of children, faith communities, and the marginalised:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for moving this Motion. I want briefly to touch on three areas: children and young people; churches and faith communities; and those living in the shadows.

First, I turn to children and young people. Last month, I hosted an online youth forum in the diocese of Gloucester, bringing together more than 100 people so that adults in different spheres of influence, including our MPs, had the opportunity to listen to young people. Prior to that event, I spent many hours listening to young people speak about the impact of Covid-19 on their lives and I will share a few quotes. “Lockdown’s been so isolating.” “I feel like there should be more knowledge about mental health, not just depression and anxiety, and we should be taught how to deal with them.” “There’s been no direction. We don’t know what’s going to happen next. It’s hard for us to try and adapt to all these different situations.” “We haven’t had the chance to say how we feel about things.” “I really hope that sometimes we can be taken more seriously, and that our views can be put across.” “I just want people with influence to understand that there’s a wider range of issues than just the small subsection that they look at.”

Votes: COVID-19 pandemic and the Coronavirus Act 2020

On 25th March 2021, the House of Lords debated a report on the COVID-19 pandemic. A vote was held on a regret motion associated with the debate, in which a Bishop took part.

Bishop of Newcastle asks about COVID-19 resuscitation orders

On 24th March 2021, Bishop of Newcastle tabled a question on a report from the Care Quality Commission on decisions relating to resuscitation orders for care home residents and those with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Care Quality Commission Protect, respect, connect—decisions about living and dying well during COVID-19, published on 18 March, on decisions about the use of ‘do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ orders for (1) care home residents, and (2) people with learning disabilities, during the pandemic.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about impact of COVID-19 on the prison system

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the impact of COVID-19 on the UK prison system and on the welfare of prisoners on 22nd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester [V]: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the (1) welfare, (2) rehabilitation, (3) sentence management, and (4) mental health, of prisoners.

Bishop of Winchester asks about cuts to overseas aid

The Bishop of Winchester asked a question on the impact of cuts to the overseas aid budget on COVID-19 vaccine distribution on 16th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, is the Minister aware that, if the cuts to the overseas aid budget lead to cuts to the Voluntary Service Overseas programme, they will negatively impact the international distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, given the involvement of VSO in Covid-19 response programmes in different parts of the world, such as Covid safety training for healthcare workers and rural populations in Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, et cetera?

Bishop of Winchester asks about provision of coronavirus vaccines in developing countries

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 10th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assist developing countries to develop a working cold-chain storage system for storing COVID-19 vaccines at the required temperatures.

Bishop of Winchester asks about access to COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 9th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the COVAX Facility’s ability to provide (1) timely, (2) equitable, and (3) universal, access to COVID-19 vaccines for developing countries; and what plans they have to work with other countries to coordinate the relaxation of intellectual property protections for COVID-19 pharmaceutical technology to allow for such access.

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