London – Page 14 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of London pays tribute to Duke of Edinburgh

The Bishop of London gave a speech in tribute to the late Duke of Edinburgh on 12th September 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London [V]: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow so many distinguished noble and noble and gallant Lords, including my noble friend the most Reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury. They have all spoken so warmly, and I wish to add my tribute to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Noble Lords will know that it is my honour to be not just the Bishop of London but the Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal.

I would like to start with words from Alfred Tennyson:

“Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar

When I put out to sea”.

Bishop of London asks about public health grants for local authorities

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to reverse the real terms cuts to public health grants for local authorities, and (2) to maintain the amount allocated for public health grants as a percentage of the total budget of NHS England.

Bishop of London asks about political situation in Mozambique

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to facilitate a coordinated response from UK political, economic and faith leaders to the situation in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique; and, in coordinating any such response, how they will take account of the influence of (1) natural disasters, (2) insurgents aligned with Islamic State, and (3) the recruitment of poor and disaffected young people to armed groups in the region.

Bishop of London asks about potential mental health risks of asthma drug

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 12th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what recommendations have been made by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regarding the prominence of warnings concerning mental health risks associated with the use of Montelukast in children; and what is the timescale for implementation of any such recommendations.

Bishop of London asks about using Church land to build affordable housing

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 24th April 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the report by the Commission of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on Housing, Church and Community Coming Home: Tackling the housing crisis together, published on 21 February, and (2) proposals to use church-owned land to build affordable housing developments; and what plans they have (a) to review existing charity law, (b) to extend the provisions of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, and (c) to amend other relevant legislation, to allow for land to be used for charitable purposes without a requirement for financial gain.

Bishop of London asks about removal of unsafe cladding from buildings

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 22nd March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that leaseholders are not required to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding from residential blocks before the Building Safety Bill 2019–2021 becomes law.

Votes: Domestic Abuse Bill

On 17th March 2021, the House of Lords debated the Domestic Abuse Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.

Votes: Fire Safety Bill

On 17th March 2021, the House of Lords debated the Fire Safety Bill. A vote was held on an amendment to the bill tabled by the Bishop of St Albans:

Bishop of London asks about potential health inequalities in Patient Choice Schemes

The Bishop of London received the following written answer on 16th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London asked Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Patient Initiated Follow Up does not create barriers for deprived and excluded patients to access NHS care.

Domestic Abuse Bill: Bishop of London speaks in favour of amendment on protection for migrant women

The Bishop of London spoke in favour of an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill focused on protections for migrant women reporting domestic abuse on 15th March 2021:

The Lord Bishop of London [V]: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, for her work on this amendment. It is also a pleasure to follow the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss.

Amendment 67, to which I give my support, speaks to an underlying issue with several amendments that concern migrant women: namely, the balance between the Home Office’s commitment to immigration enforcement and the support of victims, which is too often weighted too heavily towards the former. From my own work exploring how varying circumstances, such as migration, affect one’s health outcomes, I hear far too often of victims of crime too nervous to come forward to the police for fear that, rather than receiving the help and support that they need, they will instead find themselves indefinitely detained, split from children and families and deported. The result is that they simply do not come forward, for fear is weaponised by abusers to prevent their victims escaping. This is all too common.

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