On 29th January 2025, the House of Lords debated the Royal Albert Hall Bill. Votes were held on an amendment to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:
Votes: Royal Albert Hall Bill
Tag: culture
Mental Health Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on culturally appropriate care
On 22nd January 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Mental Health Bill aiming to ensure culturally appropriate care in the mental health sector:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group. I also want to communicate the support of my right reverend friend the Bishop of London, who apologises that she cannot be in her place this evening.
Turning to the amendments led by the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, on culturally appropriate care, I appreciated the noble Baroness’s references to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. I have worked with that community much over many years and very much enjoyed my interactions with it.
These amendments highlight issues that my right reverend friend has spent a lot of time considering, particularly from a faith perspective. I do not think we have heard that in the debate so far tonight. It is sometimes hard to grasp just how differently our health, especially our mental health, is culturally understood across different communities and faith groups. While our ability to discuss our own and others’ mental health may be generally improving—I think it is—it remains an extremely difficult discussion point for many cultures and many communities.
Continue reading “Mental Health Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on culturally appropriate care”Bishop of St Albans raises impact of budget on listed places of worship and cathedral choir schools
The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on the impact of the recent Budget on arts, culture, and heritage on 14th November 2024, raising the issue of the Listed Places of Worship Grants scheme and the impact of increased VAT on choir schools:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sater, for securing this debate.
A number of elements of the recent Budget are to be welcomed, such as the continuation of Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief and the cultural infrastructure funding. However, many of us were disappointed that there was no update on the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, which is such a lifeline for so many of our historic buildings. The Church of England and other churches are trustees of some of the most important buildings in this country. We have to raise, voluntarily, tens of millions of pounds, and we really need to find ways to help very many pressurised local communities. These buildings are not used just for worship; many of them are the local concert venue. They have all sorts of music-making going on and they are places where music lessons are given. Many of our schools come into the churches, and they are used for all sorts of reasons beyond Sunday and midweek worship. I hope that DCMS will make a decision on this in the coming weeks, and I urge the Minister to ensure its future.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises impact of budget on listed places of worship and cathedral choir schools”Bishop of St Albans raises concerns on impact of growth of film industry in Hertfordshire
The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the potential impact of the growth of the UK film industry on housing and public services in his diocese on 10th October 2024, following a government statement on support for the film industry:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, this is surely to be welcomed, and I think we are all delighted to hear these announcements, building on what has been said before. However, there is a deep concern in many parts of the country. In Hertfordshire, where I live, we have Elstree, Leavesden, the OMA V and the new studios being built in Broxbourne, and I have been privileged to visit some of those. Not only do we have the challenge of skills shortages for the film industry but we have a massive shortage already with the announcement on building extra houses. Can the Minister assure us that we are getting an integrated strategy, looking across the whole range of needs for skills, so that we can really get ahead of this game? Without that, we will have the facilities but simply not the people available to make the films.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises concerns on impact of growth of film industry in Hertfordshire”Bishop of St Albans asks about gambling data and arts & culture spending
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 what steps they will take to support children growing up in households where an adult is experiencing problem gambling.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about gambling data and arts & culture spending”Church Commissioners Written Questions: Churches in Nigeria, Silent Discos, Asylum, Independent Safeguarding Board, CofE Staff, and Church Finances
On 26th February 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:
Churches: Nigeria
Sir Edward Leigh MP (Con, Gainsborough): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church has had discussions with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the attack on the St Francis Xavier Church in Owo, Nigeria in 2022; and whether the Church is providing aid for the victims of that attack.
Continue reading “Church Commissioners Written Questions: Churches in Nigeria, Silent Discos, Asylum, Independent Safeguarding Board, CofE Staff, and Church Finances”Bishop of St Albans calls for wider access to arts and culture
The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on the contribution of the arts to the economy and society on 1st February 2024, calling upon the government to both fund the arts and ensure access to arts and culture for wider groups of people:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Bragg, for securing this debate, and I am particularly glad we are debating the contribution of the arts not just to finance and the economy but to society. The arts are fundamental to human flourishing, to expanding our imaginations, to deepening our sympathies and to touching all aspects of our lives that, so often, the merely financial fails to engage with.
Of course, the arts do make a significant contribution to the wealth of this nation, and we are fortunate to be home to some of the world’s leading orchestras, musicians, playwrights, theatres, artists and galleries. In my own diocese in Hertfordshire there is a rapid expansion of studios that are attracting filmmakers from around the world, which is important. But the danger is that we do not give enough time and attention to thinking, “Where are these musicians and artists going to come from, and where are they first going to get the experience of the arts? Where are the ordinary people, in their homes and families, engaging with the sheer delight of creativity?” That is why I find it deeply sad that many young people do not have the access to artistic expression or musical education in their communities, homes, or, sadly sometimes, even in their schools.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans calls for wider access to arts and culture”Bishop of St Albans asks about protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh, and what representations they are making to the government of Azerbaijan in this regard.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about protection of religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh”Bishop of Durham asks about cultural value of the BBC
The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the cultural value brought to the UK by the BBC on 12th December 2023, following a government statement on the BBC licence fee:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: Will the review look at what the BBC generates for the nation, as well as what goes in? Arguably, it generates far more money than the £3.8 billion, but this cannot be reduced to just an economic debate. Will what the BBC generates in good will around the world and our standing as a nation, because of what it does, be taken into consideration?
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about cultural value of the BBC”Bishop of St Albans asks about theft of items from the British Museum
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 19th September 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the recovery of stolen artefacts from the British Museum; and what measures they are taking to increase security in this area.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con, DCMS): My department is closely monitoring the situation at the British Museum, and engaging directly with the Museum on this concerning issue.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about theft of items from the British Museum”
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