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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Imprisonment for Public Protection (Re-sentencing) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports legislation

On 15th November 2024, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke in support of the Imprisonment for Public Protection (Re-sentencing) Bill, a private members bill seeking to allow for resentencing of people currently serving IPP sentences, those recalled to prison, and those under IPP sentences on conditional release:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I add my voice in favour of the Bill, and say amen to all that I have heard. I declare an interest as the Anglican bishop for prisons in England and Wales. I an not going to repeat all that has been said regarding the shocking statistics that have already been outlined.

Like other noble Lords, I am glad that such sentences can no longer be given and that there have been some changes in the rules around the termination of licences, but those rules are complicated and not easy to navigate. That is particularly significant when it comes to offering hope and support not only to those serving their sentences but to families and friends as well.

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Bishop of Gloucester speaks in debate on new recommendations for universities

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the findings and recommendations of a new report from Universities UK on 14th November 2024, emphasising the role universities play in local communities and the need to ensure fair access for all to higher education:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady Warwick, for tabling it. My reflections are rooted in conversations and experience in the sector within the diocese of Gloucester. I declare my interest as a pro-chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire, of which the noble Lord, Lord Bichard, is chancellor. It is one of 14 universities in the Cathedrals Group of universities, based on a Church of England foundation and ethos and with an explicit dedication to enhancing and expanding a greater plurality of routes into higher education.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about impact of early release programme

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the impact of the prisoner early release programme on probation services on 14th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the prisoner early release scheme on probation services.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about steps to protect the information of migrant victims of domestic violence

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the establishment of a firewall between police and immigration enforcement to protect the information of migrant victims of domestic violence on 12th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, data obtained by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner in 2023 revealed that all 43 police forces across England and Wales had shared information about victims and survivors of domestic abuse with immigration enforcement. Do the Government intend to tackle this practice by introducing a firewall?

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