Bishop of Norwich asks about services for children with special educational needs

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 6th January 2025:

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

  • what assessment they have made of the safety valve agreement, and of its impact in the local authorities where such agreements have been made.
  • what assessment they have made of the impact on the most vulnerable pupils with special educational needs in local authorities where a safety valve agreement has been made; and how they propose to minimise this impact.
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Bishop of Norwich speaks in debate on impact of the budget on family farms

The Bishop of Norwich took part in a debate on the impact of the government’s new budget on family farms on 12th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Leicester, for bringing this timely debate. Let us not beat about the hedgerow: the Government’s Budget proposals are bringing huge stress and deep concern to the farming community, as we have already heard. For many, this is the final straw after years of challenges.

I have become aware of a particularly tragic circumstance in south Norfolk where, due to a terminal cancer diagnosis, if the farmer survives after 5 April 2026, the policy change will have a huge impact on his family’s well-being and fortunes. That pressure puts enormous strain on him, almost wishing him to die sooner, because then the farm will be safe.

What of situations of the unexpected sudden death of a young farmer? The family would not only have lost the primary breadwinner but would probably have an unsustainable farm to carry on farming.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about impact of changes to agricultural property relief on farming families

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 3rd December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget’s changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on the mental health of farming families who own small farms.

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Bishop of Norwich highlights importance of rule of law for faith and society

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on the importance of the rule of law on 26th November 2024, highlighting the intersection of the rule of law with faith communities and the need to uphold human rights legislation, particularly with regards to immigration and asylum:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Smith, for bringing this debate forward and congratulate her on her outstanding maiden speech. I also congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Laing of Elderslie, on hers.

While I feel an utter novice in this area, especially following such informed speeches, I am acutely aware that your Lordships have a role in reviewing decisions of the General Synod of the Church of England and passing—or not—our Measures into law. As such, our ecclesiastical laws are also laws of the land. The Church of England values its participation in this process, and, by virtue of that, engaging with any debate on the rule of law that strengthens the ordering of a safe, healthy and flourishing society.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about effects of inheritance tax on farmers

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 25th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Budget’s changes to agricultural property relief from inheritance tax on nature conservation on small farms.

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Bishop of Norwich speaks in debate on cost of renewable energy

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on the costs of renewable energy on 14th November 2024, highlighting the threat to the environment posed by global warming and the global responsibilities associated with transitioning to renewables:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Frost, for securing this debate at the time of COP 29. It is a pleasure as always to follow on from the wise words of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman. I speak as the lead Bishop for the environment and as a member of Peers for the Planet.

I would like to ensure that there is reflection in this debate on the cost of not embracing renewable energy, especially as a global neighbour. Under even the most optimistic scenarios, the planet will experience warming above 1.5 degrees. The predictions for people and planet are stark. Ours is the generation that simply must move off our reliance on fossil fuels and embrace a new, cleaner, more resilient energy future.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about offshore oil and gas industry

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 30th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what their policy is for licensed but undeveloped sites for offshore oil and gas drilling, and whether they plan to implement a moratorium on issuing of development consents for those sites.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about biodiversity strategy

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 18th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan to publish the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, in accordance with the commitment of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference Canada in 2022, before COP 16 starts in Colombia on 21 October.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about provision of healthcare supplies into Gaza

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on ensuring provision of supplies to Gaza’s al-Ahli Hospital on 16th October 2024, following a government statement on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Lebanon:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, just over a year ago I was in Gaza, three days before Hamas’s evil attacks, visiting the Anglican-run al-Ahli hospital. Today that hospital is the only functioning hospital in northern Gaza, but it is weeks since it has been supplied. What are His Majesty’s Government doing to ensure that healthcare supplies are getting into Gaza and in particular that al-Ahli hospital, which is doing the incredible work of healing, is supplied?

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Bishop of Norwich asks about support for low income households

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 16th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked  His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of introducing a minimum floor for Universal Credit so that benefit deductions and the benefit cap do not push people into financial hardship.

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