Tag: Durham

Bishop of Durham asks about universal credit and support for low income families

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 11th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government:

  • what key (1) economic, and (2) health, indicators they plan to use to inform their planned assessment of how best to support low-income families; and whether such any such assessment will include determining whether to make the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent.
  • what is the timeline for their assessment of (1) how best to support low-income families, and (2) whether to make the £20 uplift to Universal Credit permanent.
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Bishop of Durham asks about reducing rates of COVID-19 in schools

On 7th January 2021, the Bishop of Durham asked about methods of reducing rates of COVID-19 in schools, following a government statement on the impact of the pandemic on educational settings:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: I declare my interests as chair of the National Society. I thank the Minister for the Statement and the commitment on the delivery of laptops and 4G to children. Some schools are reporting over two-thirds attendance today, due to children of key workers and vulnerable children. This runs counter to the policy of children staying at home as much as possible and, as such, is seen by school staff as highly risky to them. I have been in touch with a number of them just this afternoon with regard to this. What proportion of school attendance do Her Majesty’s Government think is needed to reduce schools’ role as a virus vector, and what more can be done to enable more vulnerable children to learn from home where hardware and 4G are the issue?

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Votes: Trade Bill

On 6th January 2021, the House of Lords debated the Trade Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of Durham asks about review of Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 5th January 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government whether they have appointed an independent reviewer to carry out a review of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration; and if not, when such an appointment will be made.

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Bishop of Durham asks about development, environment and prosperity in Burundi, Lesotho and Rwanda

On 30th December the Bishop of Durham received written answers to questions about Burundi, Lesotho and Rwanda and the Legatum Institute’s Prosperity Index 2020:

 The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Legatum Institute The Legatum Prosperity Index 2020, published on 16 November; and in particular that report’s findings that Burundi is (1) 157th out of 167 countries ranked in terms of overall prosperity, and (2) among the top 10 worst countries in the world in the categories of (a) economic quality, (b) living conditions, and (c) health. [HL11204] Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about development, environment and prosperity in Burundi, Lesotho and Rwanda”

Bishop of Durham asks about right to work for asylum seekers

On 30th December the Bishop of Durham received a written answer to a question on emplo0yment for those seeking asylum:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 3 November (HL9361), what plans they have to provide an update on when the review into the right to work of asylum seekers will be laid before the House. [HL11207] Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about right to work for asylum seekers”

Bishop of Durham asks Government to fight child poverty and lower life expectancy in north-east

On 17th December the Bishop of Durham asked a question in the |Lords during exchanges on the Office for National Statistics latest findings on life expectancy:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: Given the ONS recent findings that the lowest regional life expectancy for both male and female children at birth in 2017-19 was observed in my area of the north-east of England, when will Her Majesty’s Government commit to a full-blown strategy to eliminate the obstacles disproportionately facing children in poverty here in the north-east?

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Bishop of Durham asks about uplift in universal credit

On 16th December 2020 the Bishop of Durham received a written answer to two questions of Government on making permanent the temporary increase to Universal Credit and legacy benefits:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what factors they will consider in their review of whether to make permanent the temporary Universal Credit uplift; and when they plan to announce the outcome of that review. [HL11202]

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement by more than 60 organisations and bishops on 29 November on the Universal Credit uplift and legacy benefits; and what plans they have to extend the uplift to legacy benefits. [HL11203]

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Bishop of Durham asks about plans for restarting refugee resettlement scheme

On 25th November the Bishop of Durham received written answers to questions on the resumption of the refugee resettlement scheme:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 October (HL9221), what plans they have to ensure that once the refugee resettlement schemes are resumed, the commitment to resettle 20,000 vulnerable refugees through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme will be fulfilled, in addition to the new Global Resettlement Scheme commitment of 5,000 per year. [HL10217] Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about plans for restarting refugee resettlement scheme”

Bishop of Durham asks about children’s views of education during the pandemic

On 16th November 2020 Baroness Massey of Darwen asked the Government ” what plans they have to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into legislation.” The Bishop of Durham asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]:  Regarding the voice of children and young people, if Article 12 had been in law, what might their input have been on their own situation in schools, universities and the like through the pandemic? Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks about children’s views of education during the pandemic”