Tag: Newcastle

Media Bill: Bishop of Newcastle supports amendments on regional diversity in broadcasting production

On 20th May 2024, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Media Bill. The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in support of two amendments to the bill tabled by Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie aimed at ensuring regional diversity in broadcasting, emphasising the importance of intentionality in supporting the arts and creative industries:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendments 16 and 17, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser of Craigmaddie, to which I am pleased to have added my name in support.

Our country is one of diversity. The four nations that make up the UK include many regions, each with its own culture, sense of humour, accent, concerns and interests. As public service broadcasters are owned by the whole of the UK public, it is important that they truly reflect the public they serve in all their regional diversity.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about protection of heritage and community sites from coastal erosion

The Bishop of Newcastle received the following written answer on 20th May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle asked His Majesty’s Government what funding, other than flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid, they make available to protect heritage assets and community spaces at risk from coastal erosion.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about coastal erosion in Northumberland

The Bishop of Newcastle received the following written answers on 17th May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • how heritage significance is taken into account when calculating the value of (1) a coastal erosion protection project, and (2) a grant received through grant-in-aid funding for such a project.
  • what funding they have made available to protect churchyards from coastal erosion where (1) the church is of historical significance, or (2) family members of those recently buried in the churchyard reside in the local community.
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Bishop of Newcastle asks about proportion of accessible housing in the north-east of England

The Bishop of Newcastle received the following written answer on 15th May 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • further to statistics from the 2021 Census which showed that the North East has the highest proportion of disabled people in England, what steps they are taking to ensure there is an adequate provision of accessible housing in the region.
  • what proportion of homes built in the North East of England in the past year are wheelchair accessible.
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Bishop of Newcastle emphasises importance of caution and public endorsement in approaching development of AI weapons systems

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on report from the Artificial Intelligence in Weapon Systems Committee, highlighting the need for AI systems to be viewed with caution, and the importance of public confidence in future developments:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Lisvane, for his opening summary of this important report and to the noble Lord, Lord Stevens, for his remarks just delivered, reminding us of the maritime context of this debate as well. I also thank those involved in the creation of the report. Perhaps this alone is worth noting: AI did not produce this report; human beings did.

My friend the right reverend Prelate the former Bishop of Coventry was a member of the committee producing the report and he will be delighted that it is receiving the attention it deserves. He is present today, and I hope he does not mind me speaking on his behalf in this regard.

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Bishop of Newcastle speaks on debate on horticultural sector

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on a report from the Horticulture Sector Committee on 19th April 2024, with a focus on the welfare of seasonal workers and the benefits of promoting connections with nature:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the members of the Horticultural Sector Committee for their work in producing a thorough report highlighting the challenges that this undervalued sector experiences. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale, for his excellent summary when opening this debate. It is an honour to follow the noble Earl, Lord Caithness.

My understanding of this sector has been greatly helped by conversations with horticultural business owner Matt Naylor in south Lincolnshire, whom I met at the Oxford Farming Conference a few years ago. Listening to Matt has brought home to me the immense obstacles that the horticultural sector has faced in recent years. As other noble Lords have indicated, the sector is not in isolation from the totality of the farming and agricultural sector. To ensure food security for the future, of which horticultural activity is an integral part, we need joined-up, long-term thinking. I share the disappointment of noble Lords in this debate that the Government scrapped their plans last year to publish a horticultural strategy for England.

I want to focus my remarks on two issues. The reality of the seasonal work that the sector requires is not suited to most UK residents, resulting in a reliance on migrant seasonal workers. Without them, the industry could not function. However, their working arrangements often place them in positions of vulnerability. As evidence to the committee revealed, their protection under UK employment law is frequently not upheld. Seasonal workers often face abuse and poor pay and working conditions. I agree with the remarks made by the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, on this matter.

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Bishop of Newcastle calls for greater support for families and kinship carers in debate on children in local authority care

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the number of children in local authority care in the UK on 18th April 2024, highlighting the large numbers of children in care in the North-East of England and the need for stronger support for kinship carers:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Laming, for securing this timely debate, and particularly the noble Lord, Lord Meston, for his remarks just now, with which I strongly agree. Yesterday afternoon I attended the launch of the Child of the North APPG’s report, Children in Care in the North of England, and heard the compelling testimony of two young women, Rebekah and Kirsty, whose lives have been impacted by experiences in the care system.

The number of children entering local authority care is increasing nationally, but the north of England persistently records the highest rates of children in care. Local authorities bear the financial burden, with their budgets increasingly directed towards often unregulated private residential care providers, as other noble Lords have referred to, rather than long-term investment supporting families before they reach crisis point; a child in trouble can also be a family in trouble. We have a cycle in which cuts lead to reduced preventive services, resulting in more children entering care and budgets further spent on crisis intervention. As the Child of the North APPG heard yesterday from Amy Van Zyl, CEO of the Newcastle-based charity REFORM, there is a critical need for liberated methods of tackling systemic issues rather than overregulation, which can result in silo working, and a full recognition that deep-rooted issues of poverty are a major factor in the alarming statistics behind which are the lives of real people.

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Bishop of Newcastle highlights the importance of social care to the stability of the NHS

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the long-term sustainability of the NHS on 18th April 2024, emphasising the importance of social care and the work of the Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Patel, for securing this debate. It is a pleasure to follow my friend, the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, and I commend the noble Baroness, Lady Ramsey, on her excellent maiden speech. I welcome this debate’s focus on health and social care and in this regard I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Warwick, for her speech. Too often, social care is considered in public debates primarily in the context of ensuring that the NHS is not overwhelmed.

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Votes: Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

On 16th April 2024, the House of Lords debated Commons reasons and amendments to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about food security in the event of flooding or extreme weather

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on government plans to ensure food security in the event of extreme weather events and flooding affecting supply lines on 16th April 2024, during a discussion on compensation for farmers affected by flooding:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: Climate change and global events have exposed the vulnerability of relying on imported foods. Given the extreme weather events and flooding, the likelihood that this will continue and the impact on farming, what plans do the Government have in place to ensure food security?

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