The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 14th July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what percentage of imports of goods and services into the UK from the Occupied Palestinian Territories originate from, or are linked to, activities related to settlements in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, (3) 2023, (4) 2024, and (5) 2025.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about approaches to trade with Israeli settlements”The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 23rd June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding its announcement of 29 May that 22 new Israeli settlements have been approved in the West Bank.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about Israeli settlements and recognition of a Palestinian state”The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 18th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the guidance to businesses trading in produce originating from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about issues around the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine”The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Israeli Defence Force’s reported use of the ‘Dahiya Doctrine’, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; and of whether it is compatible with international humanitarian law.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about actions of the Israeli military and international humanitarian law”The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 13th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 10th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will publish a response to the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and when.
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about International Court of Justice Opinion on Israeli activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”
On 4th June 2025, the Bishop of Gloucester tabled her amendment to the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill, which would “seek to ensure that existing sentencing guidelines relating to the mitigating factor of “pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care” can continue to provide directions for courts to obtain pre-sentence reports for offenders who are pregnant or are primary carers of young children.”
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, like other noble Lords, I have already registered my feelings about the Bill at Second Reading and in Committee. Now that we have had the publication of the Independent Sentencing Review and the Government’s response, I reiterate the point that, like others, I simply do not believe that we need this legislation. It seems that the left hand is not aware of the right hand on the evidence around sentencing.
I agree with what has been said already. Amendment 8, in my name, seeks something very specific: to ensure that existing sentencing guidelines relating to the mitigating factor of pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care can continue to provide directions for courts to obtain pre-sentence reports for offenders who are pregnant or primary carers of young children. Without this amendment, the Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill directly contradicts the Government’s stated policy intent to reduce the imprisonment of pregnant women and mothers of young children.
Continue reading “Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester tables amendment on pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the links between events in Gaza and in the West Bank, and the broader issue of Israeli treatment of Palestinians, during a discussion on provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza on 4th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I too declare an interest, having just returned from Israel/Palestine last week. As we talk about humanitarian aid, does the Minister agree that the horrors we are now seeing in Gaza cannot and should not be separated from the tensions and conflicts in the West Bank, and that what we are seeing across the whole of the Occupied Palestinian Territories of Gaza, east Jerusalem and the West Bank are all part of one and the same thing —a diminishing of human dignity and equality, a dispossession of land and identity, and a violation by the Israeli Government of the right of Palestinian people to self-determination?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about events in Gaza and the West Bank”The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on recall of offenders released on licence to prison on 19th May 2025, criticising a “one size fits all” approach to the issue and raising the risks posed to domestic violence victims:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, as has been said, this stopgap measure really shines a spotlight on the whole issue of recalls, which have grown exponentially in recent years. Some 75% are for non-compliance, which is hugely detrimental to the big aim of transformed lives, which holds both victim and offender together. First, will the Minister assure us that his Majesty’s Government will look at recall in the light of the independent sentencing review, which is soon to be published? Secondly, there will be those in the process whose recall is seemingly for minor breaches, whereas in fact there may be a danger of control and fear instilled in victims of domestic abuse. We need to bring complexity into our thinking, rather than one size fits all. Will the Minister give reassurance to victims of domestic abuse that that is being taken seriously in this policy?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about recall of offenders on licence”
The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question improving training and development for prison staff on 13th May 2025, following a government statement on an assault against a prison guard at HMP Belmarsh:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: Prison staff work with a wide range of prisoners, from those who are the most violent to the many who are in prison for repeated low-level offending—many of whom have mental health issues and drug addictions—yet the training for prison staff is woefully short: a matter of weeks. I think that people would be shocked to hear how short that is. What is being done to expand that training and development so that staff not only feel valued but are equipped to deal with such a wide range of situations?
Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks about training and development for prison staff”
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