The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 15th July 2021:
The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to collect, and (2) to report, data on the number of people affected by long-COVID alongside the data on hospitalisations and death.
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about data on long-COVID”On 13th May 2021 the Bishop of London spoke during the second day of debate on the Queen’s Speech. Her speech focused on the constitution and Union, and on integrated health and social care.
My Lords, I add my voice to welcome the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser of Craigmaddie. I thank her for her maiden speech.
There is much to welcome in this gracious Speech, including its focus on recovery from the impact of Covid on our lives and on the economy, the investment in skills and infrastructure that it promises, and its whole-country approach. A new programme implies a clean sheet and a fresh start, but I hope that the unresolved issues from the close of the last Session—namely those relating to the then Fire Safety Bill and the then Domestic Abuse Bill—will be resolved in this Session. I hope that the financial burdens on leaseholders will stay at the forefront of the Government’s concerns and be quickly resolved in the building safety Bill. Additionally, it was disappointing that the Domestic Abuse Bill reached Royal Assent without securing protection for all women, namely migrant women. I hope that the Government will uphold their promise to treat victims as victims first and foremost, and at least ratify the Istanbul convention before the nation’s 10-year anniversary of its signing in the summer of next year.
The previous parliamentary Session will for ever be marked in our minds due to coronavirus. I will say something about integrated health and social care, but will start off with the subject in hand: the constitution.
Continue reading “Queen’s Speech – Bishop of London on constitution, the Union, health and social care”The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 27th April 2024:
The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish a report on the work to reduce health inequalities around maternal mortality rates, in particular the higher rate of death in childbirth for Black women, led by Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE; and what action will be taken as a result of this report.
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about maternal mortality rates”The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 26th April 2021:
The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the breakdown by (1) protected characteristic, and (2) socio-economic background, of the patients who choose to opt out of surgery following the waiting list validation process.
Lord Bethell (Con, DHSC): No formal assessment has been made. Data on protected characteristics and socio-economic background is not collected centrally.
The Bishop of London asked a question on use of funding to alleviate staff and support pressures in pupil referral units on 22nd April 2024:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, we welcome the increased level of catch-up funding for pupil referral units, but will the Minister tell the House how the Government will ensure that the funding alleviates the pressure on staff and students that they faced during the pandemic?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about funding for pupil referral units”
On 21st April 2021, during a debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill, the Bishop of London spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Baroness Meacher, seeking to ensure that the personal data of migrant victims of domestic violence be safeguarded:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, for sponsoring this amendment, my friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester and everyone who has faithfully backed the inclusion of migrant women in this Bill. As we already know, the Government voted against the amendment, which would have improved access to justice for migrant women. The Commons outcome does not secure any long-term legislative protection for migrant women. That is a shame.
Continue reading “Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of London supports amendment to safeguard migrant victims of domestic violence”The Bishop of London asked a question on the potential for school kitchens to be used as community kitchens to tackle obesity in underserved areas on 21st April 2021, during a debate on reported correlations between obesity rates and COVID-19 deaths:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the reduced use of school space during lockdown highlighted an opportunity for us to make use of school kitchens as community kitchens. This holds real potential for addressing multiple issues such as poverty, obesity, lack of food or loneliness, all at one time. Will the Government consider supporting school kitchens to become community kitchens when not in use by students in order to tackle obesity in underserved neighbourhoods where people often have limited choices in their nutritional options?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about development of community kitchens to combat obesity”During a discussion on COVID-19 on 20th April 2021, the Bishop of London asked a question on the difficulties of addressing the effects of COVID-19 in deprived communities, particularly in regards to vaccines:
The Lord Bishop of London: I am sure the Minister knows that those from deprived communities are more likely to catch Covid-19, be admitted to ITU and to die from the disease. They are also less likely to take up a vaccination. Could the Minister update us on action by the Government to ensure that Covid-19 does not continue to be a disease of poverty?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about steps to ensure deprived communities are not unduly effected by COVID-19”On 20th April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
The Bishop of London asked a question on the growth of expensive wedding celebrations on 20th April 2021, during a discussion marking National Marriage Week:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I certainly commend National Marriage Week to this House, especially as one of the themes this year is that a wedding does not have to be an expensive extravaganza. The fees for a church wedding or a simple registry office ceremony are very modest indeed, but the wedding industry is busily ramping up expectations of what a special day should involve. How will Her Majesty’s Government work to encourage couples to understand that marriage itself matters far more than the commercial trappings of a wedding day?
Continue reading “Bishop of London asks about costs of wedding celebrations”
The Church of England in Parliament 
You must be logged in to post a comment.