Bishop of Gloucester asks about support for parents struggling to pay child maintenance

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 3rd February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what (1) practical, and (2) mental health, support is offered to parents struggling to pay child maintenance.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about Israeli military activity in the West Bank

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the intensification of Israeli military activity in the West Bank on 30th January 2025, following a government statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I am grateful for this Statement and thank the Minister for her sensitive and careful comments. Would she accept that, although the ceasefire agreement offers a glimmer of hope that a different future is possible, the situation in the West Bank continues to go from bad to worse? What assessment have the Government made of Israel’s intensification of military action in the West Bank? The fear held by many, including those on these Benches who have just returned from that region, is that this is a precursor to full or partial annexation. What is the Government’s strategy for dealing with the deteriorating situation in the West Bank?

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Bishop of Gloucester calls for inclusion of female Afghan leaders in international talks

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the importance of including female Afghan leaders in international talks on the status of women and girls under Taliban rule in Afghanistan on 30th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, these measures are taken by men with an absolute lack of transparency and without any involvement of those concerned, and they are clearly aimed at excluding women and girls from public life. Following on from what has been said, are the Government actively meeting female Afghan leaders to hear their perspectives? Will the UK Government help female Afghans to be part of the international talks so that they are able to play a part in the future of the country?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about child maintenance and domestic violence

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 27th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government when they intend to publish the review of calculations of child maintenance.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about women in prison

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the health needs of women in prison on 14th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, women in prison have very specific health needs. Will the new women’s justice board look at ensuring that health and social care services across the women’s estate are consistently gender-specific and sensitive to women’s protected characteristics?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about use of electronic tagging

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 19th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that electronic monitoring tags are available in all sizes and that no one will be required to remain in prison solely because there is no electronic tag that will fit them.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about rural cost of living

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government further to the report Hidden Hardship, published by Dr Stephanie Denning of Coventry University in November 2023, what assessment they have made of the need (1) to tailor support provided through the welfare state for people experiencing rural hardship, and (2) to address the lack of affordable housing, public transport, and amenities in rural areas.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about status of prisoners in the UK and overseas

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 16th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to publish the number of UK citizens in prison abroad as a matter of routine

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about issue of radon gas levels at Dartmoor Prison

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 9th December 2024:

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

  • what estimate they have made of the cost of tackling radon gas levels at HMP Dartmoor.
  • when HMP Dartmoor will return to its full operational capacity following the detection of radon gas.
  • what assessment they have made of the number of prisoners affected by (1) elevated radon gas readings at HMP Dartmoor, and (2) the subsequent closure of that prison in July.
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Bishop of Gloucester asks about steps taken to ensure Israel acts in accordance with humanitarian law

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on steps being taken to call on Israel to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international humanitarian law on 26th November 2024, during a discussion on restrictions on international aid workers in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, what specific steps are being taken to call on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and its other obligations under international humanitarian law?

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