Southwark – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Southwark asks about the Windrush Lessons Learned Review

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 26th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 23 June 2020 (HC Deb col. 1193), what progress they have made towards implementing recommendations 9 and 10 of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review (HC 93) to create a Migrants Commissioner and to give more powers to the Independent Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration.

Lord Muarry of Blidworth (Con): In March 2020 the then Home Secretary published Wendy Williams’s Windrush Lessons Learned Review, which set out 30 recommendations for the department.

A range of options have been considered for delivering these recommendations, which have been discussed with external stakeholders. The Home Office is taking steps to be more transparent to ensure that the department is as open as possible to all types of scrutiny, both internal and external.

Bishop of Southwark asks about the blockade of the Lachin corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the blockade of the Lachin corridor since 12 December 2022 on the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh; and what humanitarian assistance they are providing in response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): The UK Government has made clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences, particularly during winter. Officials have met with humanitarian agencies, including the ICRC, to discuss the situation. The START FUND, to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor. UK officials remain in touch with humanitarian partners to monitor the situation. The Minister for Europe issued a statement highlighting the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor on 13 December and our Ambassadors in the region and other senior UK officials have reinforced this message with key interlocutors. We also called for an early resolution to this issue in our interventions in Vienna at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on 15 December and in New York at the UN Security Council on 20 December.

Bishop of Southwark asks about religious freedom in Israel

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 26th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what representation they have made to the government of Israel to safeguard and protect religious minorities in that country following the desecration of graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion, Jerusalem.

Bishop of Southwark asks about preservation of holy sites in Jerusalem

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 24th January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the historic status quo governing Jerusalem’s holy sites including Al-Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount.

Bishop of Southwark asks about government assessment of Israel’s policy on settlements

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 23rd January 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the government of Israel’s policy on the expansion of existing settlements and the construction of new settlements and outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Bishop of Southwark asks about delayed resolutions to asylum applications

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 1st December 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, following the publication of figures by the Refugee Council on 14 October, how many applications for asylum have not had an initial decision reached for more than five years; and what factors have led to delays of that length.

Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con): The Home Office is unable to state how many applications for asylum have not had an initial decision reached for more than five years because the Home Office does not publish this information.

Bishop of Southwark asks about effectiveness of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 29th November 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the seasonal workers’ scheme.

[This answer is a correction from the original answer.]

Lord Callanan: The Seasonal Worker visa route was specifically designed to support the horticulture sector in the United Kingdom where growers typically require higher volumes of labour, for relatively short-term periods of time, in line with seasonal production peaks.

Bishop of Southwark asks about reductions in manufacturing output in the UK

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 29th November 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reduction of 2.3 per cent in manufacturing output for the three months to September 2022 compared to the previous three months; and the impact of this reduction on economic activity.

Lord Callanan (Con): Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the rise in global energy prices and supply chain issues have strained all corners of the UK economy including manufacturing.

Bishop of Southwark asks about debts owed by Zambia

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 22nd November 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the recent loan provided by the International Monetary Fund to the country of Zambia, what discussions, if any, they have had with (1) the government of China, and (2) private western lenders, about cancelling debt owed by the government of Zambia.

Bishop of Southwark asks about the location of the British Embassy in Israel

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 7th November 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 28 September (HL 2252), what plans they have to review the location of the British Embassy in Israel; and what steps they are taking as part of any such review to consult relevant civil society organisations, non-government organisations and faith communities.

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