Tag: crime

Bishop of St Albans asks about tackling rural crime

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on initiatives to tackle rural crime on 10th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I congratulate His Majesty’s Government on the laudable aim of increasing the number of police and others in front-line services. As I travel around Beds and Herts, I hear that there are plans for cuts in policing. This is at a time when in rural areas there is a fear of rural crime, which I do not think will be addressed by what will predominantly be allocation in urban areas. It is very real; there is a lot of fear and huge costs, particularly to our farming community. What can His Majesty’s Government do to build on the success of initiatives such as Operation Ragwort, which worked across counties? It made a significant improvement without huge additional cost.

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Bishop of Lincoln asks about National Rural Crime Unit

On 6th November 2024, the Bishop of Lincoln received the following written answer:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the National Rural Crime Unit since its inception.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about visas for married people, driving test availability, tackling robbery, and rural crime

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 7th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy to increase the minimum income for spouse/partner visas to £38,700 by 2025.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about rural crime

On 12th September 2024, the Bishop of St Albans tabled a question on the government’s assessment of the NFU Mutual’s recent rural crime report:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of NFU Mutual’s Rural Crime Report 2024, published on 1 August.

Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab, Home Office): I begin by thanking the National Farmers’ Union Mutual for its report. Rural crime can have a devastating effect on, and consequences for, countryside communities and the agricultural sector. That is why the Government are committed to reducing crime in rural areas. Under our proposed reforms, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour and strengthen neighbourhood policing, as well as stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

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Bishop of Hereford asks about visa cancellations associated with public order offences

The Bishop of Hereford received the following written answer on 23rd May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 8 May (HL4028), why they do not keep records on individuals who are not British citizens who have had their visitor or other visas rescinded because of criminal activities associated with public order offences since 7 October 2023.

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Votes: Victims and Prisoners Bill

On 21st May 2024, the House of Lords debated the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a bishop took part:

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Bishop of St Albans asks about damage caused by use of sling-shots in rural areas

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 21st May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that slingshots are being used to cause damage to vehicles and local wildlife in rural areas.

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Votes: Victims and Prisoners Bill

On 30th April 2024, the House of Lords debated the Victims and Prisoners Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Victims and Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Manchester tables amendments on support services for victims of crime

On 23rd April 2024, the House of Lords debated the Victims and Prisoners Bill. The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support for his amendments 60, 64, and 70 to be the bill, which focus on establishing support services for victims of crime:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I will speak to my Amendments 60, 64 and 70, which echo amendments on support services for victims that I tabled in Committee. I am grateful to the Minister for his responses at that stage and for his kindness in meeting me and representatives of Refuge and Women’s Aid in the interim. In light of those conversations, it is not my intention to press any of these amendments to a Division today. However, I hope that, in this debate and in the Minister’s response to it, we can clarify a little further how His Majesty’s Government will seek to ensure that victims across the country have access to quality support services provided by organisations that hold their confidence and understand their specific circumstances. As we are now on Report, I will not repeat the detailed arguments of Committee, but I think their force still stands.

Amendment 60 places a duty on the Secretary of State to define in statutory guidance

“the full breadth of specialist community-based support domestic abuse services”.

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Votes: Victims and Prisoners Bill

On 16th April 2024, the House of Lords debated the Victims and Prisoners Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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