Tag: extractives industry

Bishop of Norwich asks about methods of monitoring methane gas leakage during oil and gas extraction

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on monitoring methane leakage in the UK during a discussion on ending non-routine offshore oil and gas venting and flaring on 28th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, the Minister mentioned our ageing infrastructure. We have become a global outlier in leak detection and repair to stop methane leakages. Norway has monthly checks, the US has quarterly checks and Canada is bringing in monthly checks. What is our policy, and will it mandate these leak detection and repair testing regimes?

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Bishop of Leeds asks about conflict in Sudan

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the government’s approach to the economic benefits to the warring parties in the conflict in Sudan on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, there was much mention at the conference, given the statements that came out of it, of a rejection of external interference, but there were people there who are externally interfering, such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Although the focus on humanitarian access is absolutely right, there is also the problem of gold, and that the conflict is being fuelled by the economic element of ownership and extraction of gold. Do the Government have any plans to approach the economic benefits to the warring parties as a way of stopping the conflict?

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Bishop of Winchester asks about EU Agreement with Rwanda on natural resources

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 22nd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have had discussions with the European Union about the Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains that the EU signed with the government of Rwanda on 19 February 2024.

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Bishop of Leeds, Bishop of St Albans, and Bishop of Winchester ask about conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Winchester received the following written answers on 12th April 2025:

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

  • what military support they are providing to the government of Rwanda for (1) training, (2) technology, (3) tactics, and (4) weapons licensing, and whether they have reviewed these arrangements following the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • what financial support, debt relief and development assistance they are providing to Rwanda, and what steps they will take to review these arrangements as a result of the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Bishop of Norwich asks about offshore oil and gas industry

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 30th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what their policy is for licensed but undeveloped sites for offshore oil and gas drilling, and whether they plan to implement a moratorium on issuing of development consents for those sites.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about mining regulations in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo about strengthening and enforcing national laws regarding mining and evictions in line with international human rights standards.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about sustainability targets for oil companies

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 22nd February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have held any discussions with BP following reports that the company will fail to meet its climate targets; and what steps they are taking to promote sustainability in oil companies.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about rights of indigenous communities in planning work

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question about the principle of businesses and governments seeking “free, prior, and informed consent” from indigenous communities before engaging in industrial activities, during a debate on human rights in business practices on 20th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I draw the Minister’s attention to the policy of the National Investing Bodies of the Church of England on extractive industries, which has an explicit commitment drawn from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the

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Church Commissioners Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

17.12.07 Carolinespelman1On the 29 March 2018 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP answered a written question from the Rt Hon Tim Farron MP about the Church Commissioners extractive industries policy and ethical investment.

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Bishop of Worcester- Extractives Industry (Written Answer)

On 25th March 2015, the Bishop of Worcester, Rt Revd John Inge, received answers to written questions on regulation of the extractives industry:

WorcesterThe Lord Bishop of Worcester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take against extractives industry companies which seek to subvert the intention behind the Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014.

Baroness Neville Rolfe (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills): The Government expects companies to comply with the requirements of the Reports on Payments to Government Regulations 2014.

The Regulations, which came into effect on 1 December 2014, set out the enforcement and penalty regime for any company that fails to comply in part or in full. It is a matter for the company to ensure that it is fully complying with the requirements. On a criminal conviction for not doing so the penalty may be a fine or a term of imprisonment for the directors of the company.

Reports made annually by companies under these Regulations will be published on Companies House website where both government and other interested parties will be able to consider the reports and their accuracy.

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