Tag: poverty

Early Years Intervention – Speech by Bishop of St Albans

On 8th January 2015 Peers debated a motion in the name of Baroness Massey of Darwen, ‘that this House takes note of the case for early years intervention in breaking the cycle of deprivation and promoting social mobility’. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, spoke in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans:

Bishop of St AlbansI, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Massey, for pressing this very important issue. It is, as has already been noted, an extremely complex one. We are talking about nothing less than a profound culture change in many local communities if we are to break the cycle of deprivation and increase social mobility. Continue reading “Early Years Intervention – Speech by Bishop of St Albans”

Bishop of St Albans presses Government on child poverty strategy (Written Answer)

On 11th December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer from the Department for Work and Pensions to two written questions on child poverty.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have carried out any forecasts of the level of child poverty between now and 2020; and if so, whether they will be made public.[HL3230]

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have calculated the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit policy changes announced to date since May 2010.[HL3231] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans presses Government on child poverty strategy (Written Answer)”

Bishop of Derby commends recommendations of Children’s Commission on Poverty

On 8th December 2014, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of child poverty on children’s early years educational development. The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, has the Minister heard of the report At What Cost? produced by the Children’s Commission on Poverty, which is a group of young people supported by the Children’s Society? If the Minister has come across the report, what will the Government do about the recommendations in it?
Lord Nash: Again, I am afraid that I will have to write to the right reverend Prelate on that matter.
(via Parliament.uk)

 

Bishop of St Albans – Social Security Benefits (Written Answer)

On 2 December 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on social security benefits:

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what impact assessment they have made of further planned benefit freezes, including the impact on in-work poverty. [HL3232]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud): This Government has no plans to further freeze benefits, so there are currently no plans to provide estimates of the potential effects or the impacts on in-work poverty.

(via Parliament.uk)

Maiden speech by the Bishop of Ely – Government strategy on social justice

“The legitimacy of any legislature is judged by the sure access to justice for all citizens, regardless of age or estate. For that justice to be social it requires the active participation of all communities. I believe that this justice is rooted in the invitation of God to be generous and visible with and for others” – Bishop of Ely, 16/10/14

14.10.16 Bishop of Ely 1On 16th October 2014, the House of Lords debated a motion in the name of Baroness Tyler of Enfield, “that this House takes note of Her Majesty’s Government’s Social Justice strategy.” The Bishop of Ely, Rt Rev Stephen Conway, gave his maiden speech in the debate:

The Lord Bishop of Ely (Maiden Speech):My Lords, I begin by expressing my gratitude for the welcome I have received since I was introduced into your Lordships’ House. My theological sense of direction is rather more developed than my physical sense, and I have been touched by the noble Lords who have accompanied me around bewildering corridors. Your Lordships may yet see me, like Theseus, unwinding a ball of twine to get me back to the Bishops’ Robing Room. Continue reading “Maiden speech by the Bishop of Ely – Government strategy on social justice”

Lords debates social justice – speech by Bishop of Truro

“I worry enormously that in our society we fall too easily into a tendency to demonise and victimise and fall between us and them… I suggest that there is clear evidence that our society is struggling to understand itself as a society today, and not enough evidence on the value of justice for all members of our society” – Bishop of Truro, 16/10/14

Bishop of Truro 20.6.13On 16th October 2014, the House of Lords debated a motion in the name of Baroness Tyler of Enfield, “that this House takes note of Her Majesty’s Government’s Social Justice strategy.” The Bishop of Truro gave the following speech:

The Lord Bishop of Truro: My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, for initiating this debate and congratulate her on her very clear and comprehensive introduction to this very important topic. I am also very grateful to be speaking in a debate when my friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Ely is going to make his maiden speech. If it were not presumably against the protocols of this House, I would like to congratulate him on doing so before he has done it. However, knowing him as I do, I think that that is probably very dangerous. Continue reading “Lords debates social justice – speech by Bishop of Truro”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about impact of the under-occupancy charge on household debt and child poverty

On 30th July 2014, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, received answers to two written questions on the impact of the under-occupancy charge, on household debt and child poverty.

The questions and answers are reproduced in full below:

Bishop of St Albans

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to mitigate the impact of the under-occupancy charge on household debt.[HL1588]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Lord Freud) (Con): The removal of the spare room subsidy was a necessary change in order to get the housing benefit bill under control, return fairness to the system and make better use of social housing stock. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about impact of the under-occupancy charge on household debt and child poverty”

Archbishop of York: ‘working poor’ “a stain on the conscience of this country”

On 25th June 2014, Labour Peer Baroness Thornton asked Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to address any fall in wages of women in the United Kingdom. The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd and Rt Hon John Sentamu,asked a supplementary question:

Archbishop of YorkThe Archbishop of York: My Lords, the Living Wage Commission published its final report yesterday. It makes it clear that people in the care industry are paid very poorly—and the majority happen to be women. Will the Government take a reality check and recognise that people in the care professions are paid poorly? Will they make sure that, in terms of procurement, local authorities encourage those in the care profession to pay at least the living wage, which we wanted to be voluntary and not compulsory? If that does not happen, concern about women being paid poorly will continue. It is a stain on the conscience of this country that people work hard and are still in poverty.

Baroness Northover: I read the report of the most reverend Primate’s commission with enormous interest. I note that he has just said that he is looking for a voluntary approach rather than regulation, but he challenges responsible employers to pay a fair wage. He is right to identify the difference in pay between men and women.

(via Parliament.uk)

Archbishop’s phone-in on LBC radio: transcript

Justin-Welby_2873342b

On Friday 4th April 2014 the Archbishop of Canterbury took questions from callers to LBC’s James O’Brien radio show. Topics covered included same-sex marriage, the nature of God, climate change, economics and investments, female bishops, welfare reform and relations within the Anglican Communion. A transcript is below. The full recording can also be heard here.

Update: On 6th April the Archbishop gave a joint interview to BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Programme, with Cardinal Vincent Nichols. In it he was asked to expand on the final answer he gave during the LBC interview. The Sunday Programme recording can be heard here (27 mins 55 secs in)

Continue reading “Archbishop’s phone-in on LBC radio: transcript”

Living Wage Call by the Bishop of Leicester

In the House of Lords on 1st April 2014 Lord Young of Norwood Green asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘what plans they have to mark the 15-year anniversary of the minimum wage, which took effect on 1 April 1999.’ The Bishop of Leicester asked a supplementary question: 

14.04.01 Bishop of Leicester

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, in view of what the Minister has said about there being much work to do on the living wage, does he agree that a good way to mark this anniversary would be to commission an independent inquiry into the actual effects of raising the minimum wage to the living wage for everyone? Continue reading “Living Wage Call by the Bishop of Leicester”