Tag: disability

Bishop of St Albans asks about funding for SEND school places

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the availability of additional funding for SEND places in schools during a discussion on the removal of the admissions cap on state-funded faith schools on 7th May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, Church of England schools will continue our long tradition of seeking to serve the common good and welcoming a huge diversity of people; we are glad to do that. The Minister has spoken about the huge problem of there not being enough special educational needs places. If I have understood this correctly, it means that this will be a new possibility. We in the Church of England would be keen to play our part to help with this, but one issue is the funding available for it, which makes it very difficult to offer. Alongside this announcement, what consideration have His Majesty’s Government given to providing additional funding for those SEND places, which we hope can release more energy into that deprived area?

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Bishop of Lincoln responds to government statement on disability funding reform

On 1st May 2024, the Bishop of Lincoln asked a question following a government statement on health and disability reform, raising the high rate of disability among those experiencing homelessness and asking whether disability reform should be focused on meeting the needs of this cohort rather than tightening eligibility for PIP:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I declare an interest as a bishop relating to L’Arche UK and worldwide, which cares for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. The aspiration outlined in the Ministerial Statement to create a Britain in which disabled people can be supported to thrive is one that we all share. At a time of economic challenge, any responsible Government must pursue priorities and make difficult choices, but I have been in your Lordships’ House for 10 years and this kind of Statement reminds me of the circularity of this debate about welfare provision within that 10 years, where we do not seem to have made huge progress. We heard a lot from previous speakers about the varied needs of people with disabilities, some people with temporary health issues and those with severe and enduring mental health conditions. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has noted that almost two-thirds of people living in destitution or direct homelessness have a chronic health condition or disability. These people may be unable to meet their most basic needs to stay warm, fed, dry and clean. Does the Minister agree that energy for further reform of disability benefits might be best applied to meeting the needs of this cohort rather than seeking to make eligibility even tighter?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about proposed review of personal independence payments

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on how the government’s proposed review of personal independence payments (PIP) would affect those with severe lifelong disabilities on 23rd April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, yesterday I visited National Star, an FE college that serves young people with severe lifelong disabilities. Many of them are being subjected again and again to reassessment throughout their lives. That is not only traumatising but a complete waste of time and resources. What will the Government do to take this into consideration so that people with severe lifelong disabilities are not subjected to reassessment again and again, unless, of course, that disability is generative?

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Bishop of Worcester asks about support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the need for more funding to be put into the system to support SEND pupils and their families on 19th March 2024, during a discussion on the level of support given to pupils with special educational needs: 

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I declare my interest as a parent who had to fight hard for an EHCP for his child. It is not only in deprived areas that it is very hard to be awarded an EHCP; it is certainly true in Worcestershire, where a large proportion of applications are turned down. As I was fighting through mediation, I was told by a health professional, “Remember, John, only pushy parents get EHCPs”, and that seemed to be the case. Does the Minister agree that this is shameful? Does she also agree with the LSE that the basic problem is that more money needs to be put into the system?

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Bishop of Lincoln asks about SEND diagnosis process for children and families

The Bishop of Lincoln asked a question on support for families in the process of receiving special educational needs diagnoses and provision for their children on 12th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I welcome everything that the Minister has said, but we all know that, even with the initial screening online, a full diagnosis for many children with any of these needs can take years to confirm. I am interested in what the noble Baroness has to say about how families—and the children themselves—are accompanied through several years of negotiation with the NHS and with local authorities, especially when, as has already been said, certainly in Lincolnshire, staffing costs outstrip the need that is expressed within our schools.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about employment support for people with long term health conditions

The Bishop of Sheffield asked a question about support for programmes allowing people with health conditions to find and remain in paid employment on 18th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, one such initiative that supports people with a health condition to find and remain in paid employment is called Working Win. It has been piloted in South Yorkshire, and I am assured that both the DWP and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority consider the pilot to have been a success. What plans do the Government have to roll out this health-led employment programme more widely?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about accessible housing

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that new builds are accessible to older people and people with disabilities.

Baroness Swinburne (Con, Department for Levelling-up, Housing & Communities): I refer the Lord Bishop to the answer given to Question UIN HL8422(opens in a new tab) on 26 June 2023.

Hansard

Archbishop calls for a reimagining of the adult social care system

On 30th March 2023 the House of Lords debated adult social care. The Archbishop of Canterbury drew attention to the recent report from the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Social Care.

The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, for securing this important debate, for her Select Committee’s outstanding report on adult social care and for including the recent report of the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care in the debate title. I am also very grateful to my noble friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Carlisle, who co-chaired the commission. He will be addressing some of its specific recommendations later. I would like to speak about the motivation for its commissioning by the most reverend Prelate the Archbishop of York and myself.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about financial services for blind and partially sighted people

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on Monday 20th February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support financial inclusion for blind and partially-sighted people.

Baroness Penn (Con): The Government works closely with regulators, industry, and consumer groups to promote financial inclusion. The Economic Secretary recently invited the Royal Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to attend the latest Financial Inclusion Policy Forum for a discussion of accessibility issues and consideration of what further action can be taken.

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Church Commissioner Written Answers: Equality Act exemptions and disability access in churches

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs on 8th November 2022:

8th November 2022:

Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church of England has to review its exemptions under the Equality Act 2010.

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