Durham – Page 4 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Durham asks about children’s wellbeing

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 25th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Children’s Society’s The Good Childhood Report 2023, published on 20 September, and what plans they have to implement its recommendations to promote the wellbeing of children.

Lord Markham (Con, DHSC): The Government is grateful for the Good Childhood Report and has noted its findings. The Children’s Commissioner’s Family Review covers similar issues and the Government’s response to this will be published imminently.

Bishop of Durham asks about housing for refugees

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 25th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government, following the High Court ruling that the use of hotels to house unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is unlawful, what steps they will take to end the use of hotels for this purpose.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con, Home Office): Hotel accommodation is a temporary means to accommodate the increased number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving in the UK and is only ever a contingency option, not a long-term solution. The high number of UASC arrivals, particularly because of small boat crossings, has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme (NTS). Out of necessity, the Home Office have accommodated UASC on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels while placements with local authorities have been vigorously pursued.

Bishop of Durham asks about impact of COVID-19 on the charity sector

The Lord Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 24th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on the number of volunteers in the charity sector, and what steps they are taking to support charities to recruit a sufficient number of volunteers.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con, DCMS): His Majesty’s Government recognises how vital volunteering is for society, reaping benefits for those who volunteer as well as the organisations they assist. The Government aims to remove barriers which prevent people from getting involved.

Bishop of Durham asks about employment and living wage

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of people employed in insecure work; and what steps they are taking to ensure that more employees have secure work.

The Earl of Minto (Con, Treasury): The Government has taken a range of steps to support people in insecure work. We have supported six Private Members’ Bills in this Parliamentary session, which will give benefits including easier access to flexible working and a more predictable working pattern.

Bishop of Durham asks about educational attainment for children in the social care system

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 17th October 2023:

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

further to the Action for Children’s report, The Educational Outcomes of Children Referred to Children’s Social Care: A Revolving Doors Report, published on 22 August, and data from the annual children in need census, what assessment they have made of the gap in educational attainment between children who have interacted with the children’s social care system, and their peers who have not.
what steps they are taking to improve the educational attainment and GCSE results of children who interact with the children’s social care system.
what steps they are taking, beyond the school gates, to provide support to children who have interacted with the children’s social care system.

Bishop of Durham asks about unaccompanied asylum seeking children

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government whether, in the instance a child is found after going missing from Home Office accommodation, they are initially returned to hotel accommodation or the care of the local authority.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con, Home Office): When a missing child is found, a referral to the local authority is made with a clear expectation that they are taken into local authority care.

Bishop of Durham asks about regulations affecting refugees and asylum seekers

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answers on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked His Majesty’s Government from what date asylum applications were first treated as withdrawn on the basis that the claimant failed to report or to inform the Home Office of a change of address.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con, Home Office): We do not currently publish data on the date asylum claims were first treated as withdrawn on the basis that the claimant failed to report or to inform the Home Office of a change of address. However, official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and availability of data.

Bishop of Durham stresses importance of family reunification in migration cases

The Bishop of Durham spoke in response to a motion to take note of the Family Migration (Justice and Home Affairs Committee Report) on 20th September 2023, drawing attention to the work of the Archbishops Commission on Families and Households and to the importance of family reunification:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as laid out in the register, both with the RAMP project and RESET. I am pleased to speak today following the helpful and insightful report from the Justice and Home Affairs Committee. The concept of family, which we all know is much more than just a societal description—it is a fundamental building block of our communal life as a nation—serves as an excellent basis for the review of migration policy. I refer the Minister to the Love Matters report from the Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households, which I co-chaired, which has research on how family is now understood in our nation. I commend my friend the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and the committee for their important work.

Bishop of Durham asks about healthcare provision for migrants in detention

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on healthcare provision at Ministry of Defence sites housing migrants and asylum seekers on 20th September 2023, during a debate on the outbreak of illness among migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, the barge is only one solution to the growing numbers who need to be accommodated. What provision of healthcare is being considered at MoD sites such as Wethersfield and, potentially, Scampton? Will GPs be on site and what all-round healthcare will there be to ensure that those resident there are kept safe?

Bishop of Durham asks about support for families affected by and at risk of homelessness

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 18th September 2023:

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

further to the data on homelessness published on 25 July that showed that more than 131,000 children were living in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2023, what steps they are taking to reduce the number of children living in temporary accommodation.
what steps they are taking to support families at risk of homelessness.

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