Exeter – Page 6 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Exeter asks about education in the South West

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 6th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by the University of Exeter Social Mobility in the South West, published on 28 April, that “the South-West has the worst educational outcomes for disadvantaged young people in the country, and low social mobility compared with other areas”; and what steps they are taking to address these problems.

Bishop of Exeter asks about China and the Pacific Ocean Islands

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 26th May 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security pact between the People’s Republic of China and the Solomon Islands.

Bishop of Exeter asks about support for British territories in the South Pacific

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 26th May 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the UK’s naval capability in supporting British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories in the South Pacific.

Bishop of Exeter asks about dairy farming

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the dairy sector in England.

Lord Benyon (Con): Global gas prices have a major impact on agricultural commodities. We are very aware of the significant turbulence in international commodity markets following Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and are closely monitoring the market situation.

Bishop of Exeter asks about avian influenza

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government how many cases of avian flu were reported in the UK in the years (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, and (4) 2022 so far.

Lord Benyon (Con): In 2019, one case of notifiable avian influenza was confirmed in the UK, a case of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) H5N3 in England.

Bishop of Exeter asks about levelling up in south-west England

On 7th April 2022, the Bishop of Exeter asked a question for short debate about levelling up in the south-west of England, in Grand Committee:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are their ‘levelling up’ plans for the South-West of England.

My Lords, I am privileged to serve a diocese in one of the most beautiful parts of England, except the picture postcard view of the region loved by tourists is only half the story. In keeping with most shire counties, the population is older than the national average. Dorset has the oldest population and Devon the second-oldest, with the average age in both counties set to rise significantly over the next 10 years, putting further strain on the NHS and our care services. However, the great thing about an older population, which became evident during the lockdown, is their resilience—they bring ballast and a honed wisdom to their communities. But this does not permit us to underestimate the logistical and economic challenge of sustaining an ageing population, particularly in coastal communities and remote rural areas.

Bishop of Exeter asks about support for agriculture following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answer on 5th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) inflationary, and (2) supply chain, pressures on British farming exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; and what consideration they have given to pausing the phasing out of direct payments to farmers for two years to enable them to adjust to these changes in the market.

Votes: Nationality and Borders Bill 2022

On 2nd March 2022, the House of Lords debated the Nationality and Borders Bill in its second day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.

Bishop of Exeter asks about challenges facing farmers

On 3rd March 2022, the Bishop of Exeter tabled a question on the government’s assessment of statements on challenges to farming raised by the National Farmers’ Union:

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, on 23 February, about the challenges facing farming.

Lord Benyon (Con): My Lords, I declare my farming interests as set out in the register. Defra continues to actively engage with the farming industry to deliver the changes we are implementing to support a strong and thriving agricultural sector, including measures to support productivity, raise standards and deliver environmental public goods. The NFU president raised many interesting and wide-ranging points during her keynote conference speech on 22 February, and we welcome them as a constructive contribution to the ongoing debate on the future of our agricultural industry.

Votes: Nationality and Borders Bill

On 28th February 2022, the House of Lords debated the Nationality and Borders Bill in the first day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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