On 6th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
Tag: LOCAL Authorities
Bishop of St Albans asks about programmes of support for care leavers in the UK
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 4th September 2023:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what programmes exist to support 18 year olds leaving the care system.
Baroness Barran (Con, Department for Education): As set out in the Children Act 1989, local authorities have the primary responsibility for supporting care leavers. The 2017 Children and Social Work Act imposed a new duty on local authorities to consult on and publish their ‘local offer’ for care leavers, setting out their legal entitlements and any further discretionary support that the local authority provides, such as Council Tax exemptions.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about programmes of support for care leavers in the UK”Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about supported housing hosts for children in care
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham received the following written answer on 19th July 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked His Majesty’s Government:
- what steps they are taking to recruit more supported lodgings hosts to accommodate 16 and 17 year olds in care.
- what support they are providing to local authorities (1) to establish new supported lodgings schemes, or (2) to expand existing schemes.
Baroness Barran (Con): The government believes that every child in the care system deserves to live in a high-quality setting that meets their needs and keeps them safe. That is why the department is investing over £140 million to introduce mandatory national standards and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for providers of supported accommodation for 16 and 17 year old looked after children and care leavers, including supported lodgings. Ofsted began registering providers on 28 April 2023, and registration will become mandatory from 28 October 2023.
Continue reading “Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about supported housing hosts for children in care”Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Chichester supports amendment on local authority budgets
On 13th July 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill in the second day of the report stage. The Bishop of Chichester spoke in the debate, in support of an amendment intended to ensure that local authorities have appropriate budgets to meet their funding commitments:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, I wish to speak in support of Amendment 63, which I had understood was tabled in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor, but to which the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, spoke. I speak having consulted with my colleague the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Bristol, who has been doing some work in this area.
It seems entirely right and logical that the methodology used for allocating funds for a local authority is based on the most up-to-date information. As has been outlined, the current mechanism of allocating funds does not respond to local needs or local data and often seems to rely on data that is out of date. This will simply act as a barrier to the crucial role local government has to play in ensuring that people can receive the services and support they need, no matter where they live. These services, from collecting bins and filling potholes to providing much-needed support for low-income households and preventing homelessness—core business—have a considerable impact on the wellbeing and welfare of families and households who may be struggling to get by, and in turn affect the fabric of our communities.
Continue reading “Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Chichester supports amendment on local authority budgets”Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Government amends Bill in response to call from Bishop to clarify local authorities grant-making powers to places of worship
On 13th July 2023, during a report stage debate on amendments to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, the Government Minister Baroness Scott introduced an amendment to the Bill to give clarity in the law on the question of the ability of local authorities to issue grants to parish churches and places of worship. The Bishop of Bristol had called for this at the earlier Committee stage, introducing her own amendment, which was not accepted at the time. The Minister’s amendment recognises the need for the changes, and is made in response to the arguments advanced by the Bishop and others at Committee. There was a short debate on the amendment, which the House agreed without a vote.
Continue reading “Levelling-up & Regeneration Bill: Government amends Bill in response to call from Bishop to clarify local authorities grant-making powers to places of worship”Bishop of Chichester asks about missing asylum-seeking children
On 10th July 2023, the Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the plans for accommodation of asylum seeking children who are found after going missing from Home Office accommodation, and whether the government could confirm that such children would be returned to local authority care rather than the care of the Home Office:
The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, our duty of care in the welfare of children is provided for in a number of ways: the Children Act is one, as is the routine of Ofsted inspections of schools and children’s care homes. Can the Minister confirm that, if an asylum-seeking unaccompanied child is found after going missing from Home Office accommodation, they will not be returned to hotel accommodation but instead will be returned to local authority care, where all their rights under the Children Act can be met and the quality of their accommodation will be subject to Ofsted regulation and inspection?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester asks about missing asylum-seeking children”Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Durham moves amendment to ensure safeguarding of migrant children in local authority care
On 3rd July 2023, during a debate on the Illegal Migration Bill, the Bishop of Durham tabled amendment 89, which would “limit the Secretary of State’s power to transfer a child out of local authority care and into accommodation provided by the Secretary of State, by providing that they may only do so where to do so is necessary to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child.”
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as laid out in the register. I will speak to Amendment 89, and I am grateful to my noble friends from differing Benches—the noble Lords, Lord Coaker and Lord German, and the noble Baroness, Lady Helic—for their support. It is a damning indictment that an amendment of this nature is even required, as it proposes such a basic safeguard to ensure the well-being of unaccompanied children. It requires that, if a child is to be transferred from local authority child protection systems, a justification should be provided as to why it is in their best interests to be looked after by the Home Office rather than the local authority.
Continue reading “Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Durham moves amendment to ensure safeguarding of migrant children in local authority care”Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Bristol tables amendments on local authority grants to places of worship
On 24th May 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill in Grand Committee. The Bishop of Bristol tabled amendments to the bill that would remove the existing confusion in law on whether local authorities can offer grants to places of worship:
Amendment 485:
After Clause 214, insert the following new Clause—
“Removal of prohibition on local authority from making grants to churches etc.
In section 8(1)(i) of the Local Government Act 1894 (works to church property), omit “, not being property relating to affairs of the church or held for an ecclesiastical charity”.”
Member’s explanatory statement: This amendment would remove the prohibition concerning churches and ecclesiastical charities in section 8(1)(i) of the Local Government Act 1894 and would ensure that local authorities’ spending power under section 8(1)(k) could be used to make grants to places of worship.
The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I am pleased to speak to my Amendments 485, 505, 510 and 512. I thank the Government for making time so soon after the conclusion of the debate on Monday. I declare my interests as a board member of the Church Commissioners, as set out in the register, and as the Church of England’s lead bishop for church buildings. Noble Lords will also recall the debate on Amendment 163, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Scott of Needham Market, which took place earlier in Committee on 15 March.
I tabled these four amendments to clarify the issue of local authority funding responsibilities for all Christian churches, including parish churches. The Bill affords the opportunity to bring much-needed clarity to this issue and resolve a long-standing problem. I am delighted to say that these amendments have received strong cross-party support, and I am particularly grateful to the noble Lords, Lord Cormack and Lord Best, and the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, for acting as sponsors. The noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, is unable to be in her place today, but I am assured of her continued support for these amendments.
Continue reading “Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Bristol tables amendments on local authority grants to places of worship”Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Exeter supports amendments prioritising emergency services in infrastructure planning
On 3rd May 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill in committee. The Bishop of Exeter spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Lord Greenhalgh, seeking to ensure that emergency services are considered during planning and reform:
The Lord Bishop of Exeter: My Lords, I rise in support Amendments 324, 329, 342, 346, 347, 351, 352 and 360 in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Greenhalgh, and to which I have added my name. They concern planning reform and the emergency services.
A robust and effective planning process is essential for the flourishing of our communities. A key aspect of this is to ensure the adequate provision of emergency services. I welcome the fact that the Bill has included emergency services in the definition of infrastructure under Schedule 11, but, historically, this has not always been the case. It remains the fact that local authorities are not obliged to take into account the views and concerns of the emergency services.
Continue reading “Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Exeter supports amendments prioritising emergency services in infrastructure planning”Church Commissioner Questions: Holy Land, Nigeria, Local Authority Grants, Parish Ministry, Trees, Coronation
On 28th April 2023 MPs asked questions of Andrew Selous MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner.
Holy Land: Desecration of Religious Sites
Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
1. What discussions the Church of England has had with international counterparts on the desecration of religious sites in the Holy Land. (904699)
Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
4. What discussions the Church of England has had with international counterparts on the desecration of religious sites in the Holy Land. (904702)
The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous): In the first three months of this year, seven cases of serious vandalism and antisocial behaviour against churches have been recorded in Israel. That is a sharp increase on the previous year. The Church of England continues to work with the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, the heads of other Churches, other faith leaders and the Jordanian Government, as custodian of the holy sites, to maintain the peace.
Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions: Holy Land, Nigeria, Local Authority Grants, Parish Ministry, Trees, Coronation”
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