Tag: human trafficking

Bishop of Chelmsford praises Government work on modern slavery; urges partnership with churches

On 11th July 2017 in response to a Government statement on the G20 in Hamburg, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell asked a question about the Government’s approach to human trafficking, highlighting church initiatives.

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Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords I thank the noble Baroness for the Statement and the Government’s continued commitment to tackling modern-day slavery. I am particularly grateful for the commitment to cultivate a radically new global and co-ordinated approach to this problem, which traps 46 million people in conditions that deprive them of their God-given dignity. Can the Minister give an assurance that they will put the victim at the centre of this new global approach and that it will enlist the support and help of the Churches’ global networks, which are already beginning to mobilise through the Santa Martha group and the Clewer initiative to condemn this abomination, which Pope Francis has rightly called a crime against humanity?

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford praises Government work on modern slavery; urges partnership with churches”

Church Commissioner questions: Israel/Palestine, human trafficking, prisons, social media, low carbon economy, tourism, lead theft

On 19th January 2017 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, answered questions in the House of Commons from MPs on Israel/Palestine, human trafficking, prisons, social media, low carbon economy, tourism and lead theft. The transcript is below:

spelman-190117b Continue reading “Church Commissioner questions: Israel/Palestine, human trafficking, prisons, social media, low carbon economy, tourism, lead theft”

Modern Slavery (Transparency in Supply Chains) Bill [HL] – speech by Bishop of Derby

On 8th July 2016 the House of Lords considered the Modern Slavery (Transparency in Supply Chains) Bill [HL],  a Private Members’ Bill from Baroness Young of Hornsey. The Bishop of Derby spoke in the debate:

Derby 191115cThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I too thank and congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Young, and support these suggestions. I declare an interest in that I am the chairman of the advisory panel to the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and am therefore, among other things, quite heavily involved in some of these issues.

My first point is that the Modern Slavery Act recognised very clearly the importance of information, which gives power. If you hide information, people get the wrong kind of power to behave badly. Besides trying to press companies to behave well and have good practices, we need to remind ourselves that this is not simply to fight on behalf of victims—although that is of course the priority—but to fight against serious organised crime, which in itself is a very successful business model that is expanding all the time, as we speak. It is therefore in the interests of proper companies to help us all to push back against criminal business behaviour, which has these appalling human consequences and is also enormously damaging to the health of our economy and the well-being of business more generally. Continue reading “Modern Slavery (Transparency in Supply Chains) Bill [HL] – speech by Bishop of Derby”

Church Commissioner Written Answer: Human Trafficking

Caroline SpelmanOn 7th July 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered a written question from Jim Shannon MP on human trafficking:

Jim Shannon (Strangford): To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps are being taken by the Church of England to tackle human trafficking.

Mrs Caroline Spelman: In March 2014 the Archbishop of Canterbury, with Pope Francis and other global faith leaders, gave their backing to the Global Freedom Network (www.globalfreedomnetwork.org), a ground breaking ecumenical initiative to combat modern slavery and human trafficking. The Archbishop is planning an international conference in 2017 with the Ecumenical Patriarch.  Continue reading “Church Commissioner Written Answer: Human Trafficking”

Church Commissioner questions: Out of school settings, human trafficking, women bishops, House of Lords, poverty, church toilets

On 7th July 2016 Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP answered questions from MPs in the House of Commons, in her capacity as Second Church Estates Commissioner. Questions were asked on out of school settings, human trafficking, women bishops, bishops in the House of Lords, poverty and church toilets.

Mr Speaker: Order. We come now to questions to the Second Church Estates Commissioner, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), representing the Church Commissioners, and to the right hon. Member for South West Devon—[Interruption.] I mean the hon. Member for South West Devon (Mr Streeter)—it is only a matter of time—representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission.

 

Spelman CCQs June 2015 4Church Commissioners

The right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners was asked— Continue reading “Church Commissioner questions: Out of school settings, human trafficking, women bishops, House of Lords, poverty, church toilets”

Bishop of Sheffield speaks on Church response to the migrant crisis

On Wednesday 15th June 2016 the House of Lords debated the Report from the European Union Committee The EU Action Plan against migrant smuggling (4th Report, Session 2015–16, HL Paper 46). The Bishop of Sheffield, Rt Revd Steven Croft, spoke in the debate:

14.03.27 Bishop of SheffieldThe Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I welcome the two reports before us in all their complexity and I thank the members of the European Union Committee for their expertise, which is already evident in this debate. I particularly welcome the committee’s recommendation in paragraph 8 that the mandate of Operation Sophia is reviewed and renewed, along with the EU’s subsequent decisions. Clearly, this operation alone cannot be the complete answer to the challenges that we face. However, the European Union must not return to the position that it held before the Lampedusa tragedy of apparent indifference to those who seek to cross the Mediterranean in danger of their lives. Nor can we neglect the spread of people-smuggling on and across our borders. Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield speaks on Church response to the migrant crisis”

Immigration Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports amendment to provide for unaccompanied refugee children

14.06.09 Chelmsford 2On 21st March the House of Lords considered the Government’s Immigration Bill at Report Stage. Labour Peer Lord Dubs tabled an amendment to require the Secretary of State to make arrangements for relocating 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children to the UK, from other countries in Europe. The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, co-sponsored the amendment, speaking and voting in support.  In the subsequent Division the amendment was agreed by 306 votes to 204.
Continue reading “Immigration Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports amendment to provide for unaccompanied refugee children”

Bishop of Derby asks questions about benefit fraud

On 26th & 27th October 2015 the Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, received written answers from Government to questions on benefit fraud. 

Bishop of Derby The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reports of benefit fraud have been submitted to the Department for Work and Pensions between 2010 and the most
recent date for which figures are available. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks questions about benefit fraud”

Bishop of Derby asks about police responses to reported cases of child trafficking

On 15th October 2015 Baroness Doocey asked Her Majesty’s Government “whether there has been an increase in the number of cases of child trafficking reported since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was passed.” The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, what is being done to ensure that the responses of police forces to their new responsibilities is uniform across the country, because it may be very patchy with budget pressures? Will the Government take a lead to ensure a uniform response of police forces to these responsibilities across the country? Continue reading “Bishop of Derby asks about police responses to reported cases of child trafficking”

The Bishop of Norwich presses Government on Humanitarian Aid for Libya

On Monday 1st June 2015 Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty’s Government what progress they and their international partners have made in deterring the trafficking of migrants and creating safe havens in North Africa and the Middle East. The Bishop of Norwich asked a supplementary question:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My L14.06.12 Bishop of Norwichords, what will become of the refugees and migrants who are trapped in Libya? Since neighbouring countries have closed their borders and current plans are to sink the boats that are smuggling people from Libya, are these refugees and migrants simply consigned to certain abuse and death? Can we do nothing at all to help them? Continue reading “The Bishop of Norwich presses Government on Humanitarian Aid for Libya”