Gloucester – Page 10 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Gloucester asks about settler violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the issue of settler violence on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem following a government statement on the current situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 9th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I too thank the Minister for all he has said and all he is doing. As we have heard, international humanitarian law exists to protect humanity at times of conflict and to shield us from acts of barbarism. In very different ways, as we have heard, both sides continue to flout that law; it is shocking. I want to return to the situation in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Does the Minister agree that the rising settler violence and movement restrictions are a matter of real concern, in terms not only of individuals killed but of families displaced and the undermining of UNRWA’s ability to deliver much-needed humanitarian support there? The reports we are receiving from the Anglican diocese in Jerusalem indicate a perilous situation, and one that is going to worsen if steps are not taken to uphold the rule of law.

Bishop of Gloucester pays tribute to the late Lord Judge

On 9th November 2023, the Bishop of Gloucester took part in tributes to the late Lord Ivor Judge, who had recently passed away:

My Lords, these Benches echo all that has been said so movingly about this remarkable and learned man, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge. As has been expressed, I and others felt a deep sadness on hearing the news of his death.

On behalf of these Benches, I have stood and given tributes on a number of occasions and, each time, very poignantly for me, I followed Lord Judge. He was wise, kind, humble, gracious and, as has been said, he always had a twinkle in his eye. His life was one of devoted public service to the greater good, be it in the law or the courts, as President of the Queen’s Bench Division and later as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, or as a Member of this House. He was a source of wisdom to me personally in my role as Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons. He would always greet me in the corridors with Shakespearean references to Gloucester. I will personally miss him.

Bishop of Gloucester stresses need for international cooperation in climate change debate

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on climate change and migration on 14th September 2023, outlining the underlying issues of poverty and the need for collaboration across Europe to address ongoing crises:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, it is a delight to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle. I am grateful to the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, for bringing this debate and raising this important issue. It touches on two of the primary challenges that we face in the 21st century; as we have heard, they are deeply connected. We heard astounding statistics, such as that, by 2050, perhaps 200 million people will be displaced due to climate change.

I was reminded of many of the weather events of this summer in Europe. We saw about 19,000 people evacuated from Rhodes due to wildfires; there were images of holidaymakers fleeing but being given refuge and hospitality by local people. We saw temperature red alerts and the hottest June on record globally. This is the climate crisis close up and, at the most basic level, it involved the movement of people and the support of other people—a small snapshot of a much larger global issue.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about affordable housing

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on ensuring affordable housing for local communities on 12th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that answer about affordability, but I wonder what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the definition of affordability is a good one. Could we redefine it so that it means affordable for most local people in that community, and look at what that is doing to house prices generally in each area?

Bishop of Gloucester asks about data collection in criminal justice

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 4th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the pilot, launched in March 2021, with 15 magistrates’ courts, involving the Ministry of Justice, HMCTS and the probation service, of an alternative delivery model to increase the number of cases receiving pre-sentence reports.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about migrant victims of domestic abuse

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 4th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government when they plan to publish the evaluation of the Support for Migrant Victims pilot scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con, Home Office): In 2021 the Government awarded the charity Southall Black Sisters £1.4 million to run the Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) Scheme pilot. This was following the Government’s review (in 2020) of its response to migrant victims who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF). This funding has now been extended until March 2025.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about expanding Foods Standards Agency surveys

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 19th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of how much it would cost to expand the sample size for the Food Standards Agency’s Food and You 2 survey to a minimum of 10,000 households.

Lord Markham (Con): The Food Standards Agency (FSA) estimates that it would cost approximately an additional £400,000 per year to increase the sample size of the Food and You 2 survey from 4,000 households to 10,000.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about caring responsibilities and history of local authority care for prisoners

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th July 2023:

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

following the introduction of the Basic Custody Screening Tool, how many (1) men, and (2) women, currently in custody have been assessed as having primary caring responsibilities; and how many children are affected by their imprisonment.
how many women in prison have been identified as having previously been in local authority care in each of the last five years.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about number of female prisoners in secure hospitals

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many women in prison were transferred to a secure hospital under provisions in the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.

Lord Bellamy (Con): Please see below table showing the number of female prisoners who were transferred to a mental health hospital under Part 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 ¹in each of the last five years. This is in the context of a female prison population which stood at 3,253 as of June 2022:

Bishop of Gloucester asks about family relationships of female prisoners and implementation of the Farmer Review

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 12th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many of the 33 recommendations contained in The Farmer Review for Women, published in June 2019, have been implemented.

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