Tag: north-east

Bishop of Durham asks about investment in rail services in the north-east of England

On 15th July 2021, the Bishop of Durham asked a question on government plans to improve rail services in the north-east of England, following a discussion on frequency of services on the east coast mainline network:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare an interest as a regular LNER user. I have a lot of sympathy with the noble Lord, Lord Beith. I recognise that connections from Darlington, Durham and Newcastle are northwards as well as southwards. Will the Minister comment on how local services such as those from Bishop Auckland to Middlesbrough and the possible reopening of Durham to Sunderland need to be invested in for the economic growth of the north-east as a whole?

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Bishop of Newcastle speaks about issues affecting housing market during debate on Archbishops’ Commission Coming Home Report

The Bishop of Newcastle gave a speech during the Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate on the Coming Home report from the Archbishops’ Commission, highlighting the issues in the housing stock in the North of England and the need for stable and secure homes:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, at a time when spirit-lifting is much needed, I can say with pleasure that my spirit has been lifted, as indeed has my heart, by this report from the Archbishop’s Commission. My heart and my spirit have been lifted because this report recognises that building homes and communities, not just houses, is of the deepest significance to the human dignity of every man, woman and child in this country and to the kind of society we aspire to build.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about investment in the North of England

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on the government’s assessment of a report on investment in the North of England on 23rd February 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle [V]: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Centre for Policy Studies A Northern Big Bang: Unleashing Investment in the North, published on 14 February.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con, DHCLG): The Government welcome the contribution made by the Centre for Policy Studies report. Levelling up the north of England is a key priority for this Government, and the coronavirus crisis has made it more important than ever that the Government continue to drive forward progress on our promise to deliver real, positive change in the north.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks Government about coastal communities in the North East

On 13 July the Rt Revd Christine Hardman, Bishop of Newcastle, received a written answer to a question from Lord Greenhalgh on the Coastal Communities Fund.

Lord Bishop of Newcastle: HL6244 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the Coastal Communities Fund has been spent since 2012 on regions (1) in the North East of England, and (2) north of the River Tyne in England.

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Bishop of Durham asks Government to take regional approach to phasing out Job Retention Scheme

On 13th May 2020 Lord Agnew of Oulton repeated a statement given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the COVID-19 economic support package. The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a follow up question:

Durham 1Lord Bishop of Durham: The extension of the JRS is extremely welcome. Here in the north-east, we have a worryingly high infection rate and among the highest average death rates per capita. Will Her Majesty’s Government consider taking a regional approach to phasing out the JRS, ensuring that the economic and social needs of each region are reflected adequately in the Government’s ongoing support?

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Bishop of Durham asks about creation of jobs and apprenticeships through brownfield construction

On 3rd June 2015, Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take to encourage the use of brownfield sites in the North of England for public and private housing developments. The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a supplementary question:

14.06.10 Bishop of Durham 5The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, the low levels of value in the north of England—the north-east as much as the north-west—have already been noted. Does the Minister recognise that one incentive is the possible creation of jobs and apprenticeships in things like bricklaying, plumbing and so forth, which we are desperately in need of in our region and in the nation as a whole?

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The right reverend Prelate makes an excellent point. Because of the speed and the size of housing development—indeed of construction in general—we now find ourselves needing to upskill those people who we need to do those jobs through apprenticeships, as he says, and through other initiatives. This is what lies behind the idea of the northern powerhouse—that the north will play its part in economic growth, as well as the south of England.

(via Parliament.uk)