Tag: St Albans

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about mental health of young people in care

On 20th October 2015 Lord Stone of Blackheath asked Her Majesty’s Government “what progress has been made in establishing parity of esteem between mental and physical well-being.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the NSPCC report on achieving emotional well-being among young people in care found that 45% of them experience mental health problems, many of which continue to remain undiagnosed. It recommends that those young people should have not only an automatic physical health assessment but an automatic mental health assessment. Will Her Majesty’s Government consider introducing legislation to give that right to all young people as they enter care?

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about mental health of young people in care”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about impact of National Living Wage on small businesses

Bishop St Albans June 2015On 19th October 2015 Lord Haskel asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of the financial impact on British business of the new minimum wage when it comes into effect in 2016.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, while welcoming the Government’s moves to look at the level of wages as the Minister has mentioned in terms of the minimum living wage, I am aware that the Resolution Foundation is concerned about very small businesses—those that employ fewer than 10 people. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about impact of National Living Wage on small businesses”

Division: Energy Bill and objectives of the Oil and Gas Authority

On 19th October 2015 the House of Lords considered amendments to the Government’s Energy Bill at its Report stage. Labour Peer Baroness Worthington moved an amendment to, in her words, “change the fundamental objective of the Oil and Gas Authority: to make it fit for purpose, comprehensive and a little bit closer to what we would expect a regulator representing the Government’s interests in the extraction of oil and gas to be interested in; and to maximise economic return from our resources, not necessarily just the economic recovery of fossil fuels.”

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Amendment 11: after clause 3, to insert the new clause Transportation and storage of greenhouse gases.

The House divided:  Contents: 251 | Not Contents: 179 | Result: Government Defeat

The Bishops of Salisbury, Southwark and St Albans all voted content. No bishop voted not content.

(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of St Albans leads Lords debate on rural housing and Right to Buy

On 15th October 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, led a debate in the House of Lords to ask the Government “how they plan to deliver a sustainable supply of affordable housing in rural communities, particularly in the light of the planned extension of the Right to Buy scheme.” The full text of the Bishop’s speech is below, as is the response from the Minister.

Bishop of St Albans

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am very grateful to all those who have agreed to contribute to this debate, many of whom have huge experience in this area, and I am looking forward to what they have to say.

The provision of affordable housing is vital to the long-term sustainability of rural communities so that they continue to be places where a broad cross-section of people can live and work. It is all the more important, given that rural house prices are currently well beyond the means of many lower-income and middle-income people. Indeed, it is estimated that in 90% of rural authorities, the average home costs eight times the average salary. However, rural communities currently face a serious lack of affordable housing. Only 8% of rural housing stock is considered affordable, compared with 20% in urban areas. The amount of new affordable rural housing is also low. In 2013, only 2,886 affordable homes were built in rural areas out of nearly 40,000 affordable homes nationally. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads Lords debate on rural housing and Right to Buy”

Division on the Childcare Bill over funding

On 14th October 2015 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Childcare Bill at its Report stage. The House voted on an amendment from Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, which sought to delay the introduction of Government plans to double the amount of free childcare for parents of three and four-year-olds until a full analysis of the funding the policy had been carried out. An ITV news report on the vote is here.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Amendment: ‘before clause 1, to insert the new clause Funding review’.

The House divided: Contents: 222 | Not Contents: 209 | Result: Government Defeat

The Bishop of St Albans voted content. No bishop voted not content.

(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans to investigate Sharia law in Britain

On 24th September 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question of Government about the proposed independent investigation of Sharia law in Britain.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the undertaking by the Home Secretary, made in a speech on 23 March, to set up an independent investigation into the application of Shari’a law in Britain will be fulfilled; and when that investigation is expected to report.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans to investigate Sharia law in Britain”

Bishop of St Albans questions Government on impact of Sunday trading changes on small shops

On 17th September 2015 Lord Naseby asked the Government “what new proposals they have to support independent high street retailers, particularly in the light of the increasing cost of business rates”. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, while I am grateful for the support Her Majesty’s Government are giving to independent retailers, it seems extraordinary that they are doing so at a time when they are talking about deregulating further Sunday trading hours, which many insiders in the industry believe will give huge commercial advantage both to the large supermarkets and to out-of-town shopping centres. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans questions Government on impact of Sunday trading changes on small shops”

Bishop of St Albans calls for more protection for dairy farmers

“Just as global markets have meant that prices have collapsed, there will come a time when they will suddenly rise dramatically. That is how markets work. The point about milk and dairy is that you cannot simply turn it on again. You cannot keep cows tucked away somewhere just in case. It is vital that we make sure that we continue to have a basic ability to produce food”  – Bishop of St Albans, 17/9/15

Bishop of St AlbansOn 17th September 2015, the Earl of Shrewsbury in a question for short debate asked the Government “what steps they are taking to support the dairy industry in the United Kingdom, in the light of the European Union aid package announced on 7 September.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, said:

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans calls for more protection for dairy farmers”

Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about adoption of the rural-urban classification

Bishop St Albans June 2015On 17th September 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to three written questions, about the Government’s statistical use of the rural-urban classification, the Government’s response to the Independent Rural Proofing Implementation Review and access to the Rural Services Delivery Grant. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks the Government about adoption of the rural-urban classification”

Bishop of St Albans raises threat of Mycoplasma Bovis and questions provisions for upland farmers

Bishop St Albans June 2015On 15th September 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to  five written questions: on the threat to farmers of Mycoplasma Bovis, and on the financial provisions for upland farmers.

Lord Bishop of St Albans:

(1) To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have evaluated the potential risk of Mycoplasma bovis to the national dairy herd and to milk production; and if not, whether they plan to do so, and within what timescale. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises threat of Mycoplasma Bovis and questions provisions for upland farmers”