Southwark – Page 15 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Southwark asks about treatment of Christians in India

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th January 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of India over its refusal to allow Oxfam and the Missionaries of Charity operating in that country to receive money from abroad.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): We are aware that some Non Government Organisations (NGOs) have faced difficulties in India due to the application of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the Indian authorities, and that some have recently had applications to renew their foreign funding licenses rejected. We continue to support a wide range of local NGO partners in India, including through programmes, and officials have discussed issues facing NGOs directly with the Indian Government.

Bishop of Southwark asks about pay rates for keyworkers

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 25th January 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the claim by the Trades Union Congress that thousands of key workers are earning less in real terms than they were a decade earlier.

Viscount Younger of Leckie (Con, Treasury): To examine the real terms earnings of key workers, we focus on public sector workers – which represent the majority of key workers.

Public sector pay in real terms (total pay, deflated by CPI) has grown at an annualised rate of 0.2% over the last decade (since the three months to November 2011). The level of public sector average weekly earnings (in real terms) is now in line with that of the private sector in the three months to November 2021.

Bishop of Southwark asks about funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 22nd November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government:

what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in their funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees for 2021 compared to 2020.
what assessment they have made of (1) the financial position of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and (2) the sustainability of the Agency’s provision of services to Palestinian refugees.

Bishop of Southwark asks Government about deportations to Jamaica

The following written question was replied to on November 22nd 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken following the remarks by the High Commissioner for Jamaica on 4 November: “from a human rights perspective I am deeply concerned about cases in which persons are being removed having lived in the UK since childhood and have no known relations in Jamaica or familiarity with Jamaica”. [HL3845]

Bishop of Southwark asks about organisation of a ministerial conference on Freedom of Religion & Belief

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 22nd November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government:

(1) what progress they have made in organising a Ministerial Conference on freedom of religion or belief in July 2022, and (2) what steps they have taken, if any, to involve civil society and faith organisations in the planning and proceedings of this conference.
what steps they have taken to implement the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 8 July 2019.
what steps they plan to take to independently review the implementation of the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published on 8 July 2019.

Bishop of Southwark asks about human rights organisations in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 8th November 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government:

what discussions they have had with the government of Israel following claims by the Israeli Ministry of Defence that six human rights organisations are linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; and whether they share this assessment by the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
what assessment they have made of the work of (1) Al-Haq, (2) Addameer, (3) Defence of Children International – Palestine, (4) Bisan Center for Research and Development, and (5) Union of Palestinian Women’s Committee in monitoring allegations of human rights breaches in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Votes: Conduct Committee Report

On 20th July 2021, two Bishops took part in votes in the House of Lords on reports on the conduct of several members of the House, regarding completion of the “Valuing Everyone” training mandated by the House of Lords Code of Conduct.

Bishop of Southwark asks about rights of indigenous communities in planning work

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question about the principle of businesses and governments seeking “free, prior, and informed consent” from indigenous communities before engaging in industrial activities, during a debate on human rights in business practices on 20th July 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I draw the Minister’s attention to the policy of the National Investing Bodies of the Church of England on extractive industries, which has an explicit commitment drawn from the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the

Bishop of Southwark asks about access to cash for vulnerable groups

During a debate on cash infrastructure in the UK on 20th July 2023, the Bishop of Southwark asked a question on the use of cash by vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with mental health issues, and those on low incomes:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, the data tells us that cash usage is higher among higher age groups, those with mental health issues, those on lower incomes and other categories. Does the Minister agree that what works in terms of digital payments for some groups in society and proves financially viable for major banking institutions simply does not work for large numbers of people in a diocese of 3 million such as Southwark, and many others?

Votes: Procedures & Privileges

On 13th July 2021, the House of Lords debated a report from the Procedures and Privileges Committee regarding proposed changes to procedures in the House. Votes were held on a motion to approve the changes, and amendments to the main motion, in which Bishops took part:

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