The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on immigration abuse on 1st December 2022, during a debate on violence against women and domestic violence:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, do the Government plan to include the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s definition of immigration abuse in policy and guidance on domestic abuse?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about updating domestic abuse guidance to include the definition of immigration abuse”The Bishop of Gloucester asked the following question on 9th June 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, in this important issue of violence against men and boys as well as against women and girls, addressing the drivers of violence is as important as responding to it downstream. Can the Minister give an assurance that work is being done to focus on a holistic preventive framework for all domestic and sexual violence, as in Victoria, Australia?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about male victims of crime”The Bishop of Chichester asked a question during a debate on support services for victims of domestic abuse on 8th June 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, we know that domestic abuse can be experienced across the gender divide and in every part of society, and that includes clergy households. Can the Minister say what steps Her Majesty’s Government are taking to address the needs of those who suffer domestic abuse and who, like clergy, live in accommodation tied to their post, thus making their future material well-being more perilous if and when they leave the family home?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester asks about support for domestic abuse victims”
The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 6th June 2022:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish their evaluation of the Support for Migrant Victims pilot scheme.
Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con): Tackling domestic abuse and ensuring victims receive the support they need, is a priority for this Government. Furthermore, anyone who has suffered domestic abuse must be treated as a victim first and foremost, regardless of immigration status.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about support for migrants who are victims of domestic abuse”On 27th October 2021, the House of Lords debated the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill in the third day of committee. The Bishop of Gloucester spoke during the debate, supporting an amendment tabled by Baroness Bertin to include domestic abuse in the definition of “serious violence” under the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I too add my support to the amendment moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Bertin. Many points have been covered, and I simply want to say that if the definition of serious violence is not expanded in this way, the concern is that many local areas will not consider it within their strategies.
Continue reading “Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports expansion of “serious violence” definition to include domestic abuse”On 21st April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Domestic Violence Bill. The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Baroness Kennedy, seeking to establish an independent review of the effectiveness of self-defence in cases of victims of domestic violence:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I support this amendment, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy. In Committee and on Report, I spoke in favour of amendments to this Bill that proposed a statutory defence of domestic abuse, recognising the significant number of women coming into contact with the criminal justice system who have experienced domestic abuse and previous trauma, and how that becomes a driver for their offending. I do not want to repeat all that the noble Baroness has said, but I will highlight again the statistic of almost 60% of women supervised in the community or in custody who have an assessment have experienced domestic abuse—and the true figure is likely to be much higher.
Regrettably, these amendments have not been included in the Bill, and I therefore strongly support the call to hold an independent review of the effectiveness of existing defences, as proposed by this amendment.
Continue reading “Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports amendment calling for review of existing defences for victims of domestic abuse in the court system”On 17th March 2021, the House of Lords debated the Domestic Abuse Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.
03/03/2021
Following the Budget speech, the Bishop of Birmingham, David Urquhart, Convenor of the Bishops in the House of Lords, said:
“This is a time of great uncertainty, and while the Chancellor has rightly focussed on steps to get the economy moving, I’m concerned he has missed the chance to give certainty to those people and families who rely on Universal Credit, by not making the £20 uplift permanent.
“I’ll look at the details of the Budget closely for measures that will help the poorest and most vulnerable, especially access to sustainable jobs. The £19m for Domestic Abuse programmes is welcome as is support for schools to help get children back on the road of educational discovery. The lack of detail on social care is, however, a worry.
“The £300m additional funding for the Culture Recovery Fund is very welcome and will support the many small businesses and independent contractors our churches employ and support. I also note that the Levelling Up Fund prospectus specifically mentions cultural and heritage assets, including churches, and we look forward to churches and cathedrals particularly in areas of high deprivation taking part in this programme.”
On 3rd February 2021, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke in support of amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill which would aim to provide protection for victims of domestic violence and modern slavery under self-defence law:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester [V]: My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 139 and 140, to which I have added my name. I draw attention to my interests set out in the register. It is an immense privilege to support the noble Baroness, Lady Kennedy; I am grateful for her immense wisdom, knowledge and experience. I am also grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for her excellent and candid laying out of the issues. It is a privilege to follow her.
In my role as Anglican bishop for women’s prisons and my recent appointment as Anglican bishop for the whole prison estate in England and Wales, I have made prison visits and spoken with prisoners, volunteers and staff, including governors and chaplains. As president of the Nelson Trust, I have heard first-hand the positive impact of trauma-informed practice in its excellent work with women serving their sentences in the community and women leaving prison.
Continue reading “Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports amendments on protection for victims of modern slavery and domestic violence in the criminal justice system”
The Bishop of Derby spoke during a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill on 1st February 2021, in support of amendment 176, which would clarify the need for specialist domestic abuse services:
The Lord Bishop of Derby [V]: My Lords, I add my voice to those who have already welcomed this Bill and thank the Minister for the Government’s responses so far. I support all the amendments in this group but address my comments to Amendment 176, to which I was pleased to add my name. I am privileged to follow the noble Lord, Lord Polak, and commend his clear and passionate introduction to this amendment.
Although this Bill is welcome and long overdue, its success as legislation must ultimately be measured in how far it improves on current outcomes in supporting survivors of abuse. To that end, Amendment 176 seeks to strengthen the Bill to ensure that all survivors of domestic abuse can equally access the protection and support measures they require.
I too support the Government’s good intentions in including a statutory duty to provide accommodation-based support and appreciated the earlier debate on that provision. However, I fear an unintended consequence: in placing the focus on that support, we risk undermining the funding and provision of specialist community-based services, notably including for many children who are victims of domestic abuse.
Continue reading “Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of Derby”
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