The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 5th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce mandatory extended producer responsibility for the tobacco industry or a ban on single-use cigarette filters to reduce environmental impact.
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about environmental impact of the tobacco industry”
The Bishop of Oxford spoke at the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 23rd April 2025, welcoming the bill and affirming the need for action on health inequalities and the reduction of smoking:
The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Stevens. I rise to support this important Bill and to express the support of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, who sends her apologies that she cannot be here today. I thank the Minister for her very clear introduction, and other noble Lords for their principled and non-partisan support.
This is an extremely important and effective public health measure that prioritises preventive health at a time when demands on acute services are so significant. Stark inequalities in health remain one of the most persistent and negative health outcomes of modern times. Smoking falls clearly along this line of inequality. Action on Smoking and Health goes so far as to say that smoking is the leading cause of
“the gap in healthy life expectancy”.
Continue reading “Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports legislation at second reading”
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 2nd April 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of findings published on 18 March by the City of York Council, Next Generation York: the health of adolescents in our city, particularly that 16 per cent of young people had gambled, and of those 25 per cent took money to gamble without permission, and 14 per cent had conflicts with family or friends over gambling.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of gambling and nicotine on young people”The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 26th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 10th January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government:
During a debate on the King’s Speech on 9th October 2023, the Bishop of London gave a speech focusing on issues of health and social care:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is a pleasure to participate in this debate on the gracious Speech. I declare my interests as recorded in the register.
I begin by joining noble Lords across the House in welcoming the indication in the Speech that the Government will legislate for a ban on smoking. As we have heard, smoking is the single biggest preventable killer in the UK, but it is also an example of pronounced health inequality. The Chief Medical Officer gave this evidence to the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee:
“Smoking is usually twice as high in people with lower incomes and more than twice as high in people living with mental health issues”.
He went on to say:
“The cigarette industry goes absolutely unerringly for the most vulnerable in society”.
Continue reading “King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of London speaks on health & social care”
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 29th June 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 28th June 2022:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government:
On 14th July 2021, the House of Lords voted on the Business and Planning Act 2020 (Pavement Licences) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. A Bishop took part in the vote:
On 24th May 2019 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question on tobacco and gambling display advertising:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: HL15775 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the paper Impact of a ban on the open display of tobacco products in retail outlets on never smoking youth in the UK: findings from a repeat cross-sectional survey before, during and after implementation, published in the British Medical Journal in May; and whether they will consider the implications of those findings for other unhealthy commodity industries, including gambling.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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