Tag: environment

Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of and funding to address pollution

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 24th May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact that withdrawing funding for the Air Quality Grant Scheme will have on public health.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about protection of heritage and community sites from coastal erosion

The Bishop of Newcastle received the following written answer on 20th May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle asked His Majesty’s Government what funding, other than flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid, they make available to protect heritage assets and community spaces at risk from coastal erosion.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about coastal erosion in Northumberland

The Bishop of Newcastle received the following written answers on 17th May 2024:

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

  • how heritage significance is taken into account when calculating the value of (1) a coastal erosion protection project, and (2) a grant received through grant-in-aid funding for such a project.
  • what funding they have made available to protect churchyards from coastal erosion where (1) the church is of historical significance, or (2) family members of those recently buried in the churchyard reside in the local community.
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Bishop of Norwich asks about impact of construction of the Norwich West Link dual-carriageway

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 13th May 2024:

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

  • what discussions they have had with (1) Natural England, and (2) Norfolk County Council, about the proposed construction of the Norwich West Link.
  • further to the Natural England report Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for barbastelle bat, published on 8 March, which placed “favourable conservation status” on barbastelle bats present in the area of the Norwich Western Link, what assessment they have made of the viability of the construction of the Norwich West Link.
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Bishop of St Albans asks about sustainable farming and countryside stewardship programmes

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:

  •  when they will publish further information on the combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
  • when farmers will be able to apply for the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
  • when guidance for the Sustainable Farming Incentive online application portal will be set out.
  •  when farmers in existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements can transfer to the new offer.
  • when the new Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship actions can be added to areas already in the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement, particularly in upland areas where the HLS agreement has a linked Upland Entry Level Stewardship agreement.
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Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on protecting marine environments and worker mobility

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a committee debate on the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill on 23rd April 2024, supporting amendments on safeguarding marine protected areas, and the establishment of skills passports to aid in worker mobility to new industries:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I rise to support all the amendments in this group but I will focus my comments on Amendment 10 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Willis, and Amendment 2 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, to which I have added my name in support. I would also value hearing the rest of this debate.

On Amendment 10, I reiterate the question I asked at Second Reading: what steps are His Majesty’s Government taking to safeguard marine protected areas, and why are they not taking the IUCN’s recommendations seriously by excluding MPAs from extraction in the Bill?

I will not rehearse the valuable arguments that the noble Baroness, Lady Willis, has already made on whether we have a robust regulatory framework on MPAs. From the evidence she has provided, I am greatly concerned about whether that is the case. Certainly, the new Rosebank field overlaps with the Faroe-Shetland MPA—a fragile ecosystem and marine environment. Excluding MPAs from the licensing rounds altogether would ensure their protection and that is why I support Amendment 10.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about food security in the event of flooding or extreme weather

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on government plans to ensure food security in the event of extreme weather events and flooding affecting supply lines on 16th April 2024, during a discussion on compensation for farmers affected by flooding:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: Climate change and global events have exposed the vulnerability of relying on imported foods. Given the extreme weather events and flooding, the likelihood that this will continue and the impact on farming, what plans do the Government have in place to ensure food security?

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Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asks about environmental land management and sustainable farming initiatives

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asked a question on ongoing assessment of environmental land management and sustainable farming schemes during a discussion on food security on 26th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: My Lords, I indicate my interests as listed in the register and pay tribute to farmers. As the Minister has said, the priorities are food production and environmental quality, including rebuilding biodiversity, restoring clean air and water and prioritising the rebuilding of healthy soils. What ongoing assessment is being made of the current ELMS and SFI programmes to meet these aims?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about carbon emissions in Kenya

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 14th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the issues raised by the Survival International Report of the Northern Rangelands Trust carbon offsetting project in Kenya.

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Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about effectives of dredging rivers and waterways

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham received the following written answer on 12th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of dredging rivers and waterways while balancing environmental and habitat considerations; and, in particular, what assessment they have made of how effective this would be for the River Trent.

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