On 14th September 2015, The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked the Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of the United Kingdom’s food supply. He then asked a supplementary question about the provision of financial relief for farmers.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of the United Kingdom’s food supply. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about sustainability of UK food supply”
On the 10th September 2015 Baroness Tyler of Enfield asked the Government what plans they have to tackle the variations in health outcomes across the country for children aged under five. The Bishop of St Albans asked a supplementary question about the impact access to health services have on children in rural areas
On the 7th September 2015 Lord Sharkey asked the Government ‘what assessment they have made of the thematic review Quality of Debt Management Advice published by the Financial Conduct Authority in June 2015′. The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith asked a supplementary question.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, given that the FCA report discovered that not-for-profit organisations were better at giving impartial debt advice, will the Minister tell us what plans Her Majesty’s Government have to ensure that those organisations have sufficient funding to be able to offer that service to the 8.8 million people in the UK who are in need of debt management advice? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks government about support for not-for-profit debt management advice services”
On 3rd August 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to written questions on the government’s plans for a National Living Wage, and on the income pressures faced by young people:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to bring the National Living Wage in line with the rate recommended by the Living Wage Foundation by incorporating adjustments for cost of living and support received through tax credits. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks government about plans for a national living wage”
On 29th July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received a written answer to a question to HM Government about the cases of Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, on trial in Egypt. Amnesty International is campaigning for their release.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Egypt on behalf of Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans raises case of journalists detained by Egyptian authorities”
On 22nd, 23rd & 24th July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to written questions on the scale of gambling addiction in Greater London and fixed-odds betting terminals:
Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the research undertaken by the Campaign for Fairer Gambling into the social problems caused by fixed-odds betting terminals. [HL1485]
On 24th July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to three written questions on forced marriage.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases the Forced Marriage Unit was involved in, or gave support and advice to, in 2014. Continue reading “Forced marriage – Bishop of St Albans asks Government about scale of problem”
On the 21st July 2015 Lord Lennie asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘what steps they are taking to protect children from payday loan advertisements in the light of the review conducted by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice’. The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:
On 16th July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt revd Alan Smith, led Peers in a question for short debate “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of rural communities, in the light of the additional costs and challenges of service provision in rural areas.” His speech opening the debate is below. The full debate can be read here.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am very grateful to all those who are going to contribute to this debate, which is an opportunity to highlight the importance of sustainable rural communities to the life of this country and to consider the challenges that exist in providing the services needed to support those communities so that they can continue to be engaging and vibrant places to live and work. Many definitions of vibrancy can, and indeed have been, applied to rural communities. Previously, these definitions have focused on the services available in the community—for example, a shop, a post office or a school. But in the final analysis it is the people who count and who make a rural community, indeed any community, what it is. A rural community becomes sustainable when people care about its future and have an opportunity to engage in that future, shaping it themselves for the common good. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads House of Lords debate on sustainability of rural communities”
On Thursday 2nd July 2015 Lord Forsyth of Drumlean asked Her Majesty’s Government ‘whether they plan to establish a Constitutional Convention to consider the implications of devolution for each part of the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to publish a white paper setting out the consequences for the rest of the United Kingdom of fiscal autonomy for Scotland’. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Minister would have picked up concern on every side of the House on this particular issues and I, along with a number of Members on this Bench, share that concern. In principle we would like to explore the possibility of a constitutional convention. The pastoral letter that the bishops issued earlier this year stated:
“The impatience of politicians or the desire for party advantage must not be the driver for constitutional change”.
If we are not going to have a constitutional convention, how do Her Majesty’s Government intend to involve as many as possible of those people who are passionate to be involved in this so that together we can think carefully about the vital question of the future governance of the UK?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about plans for a constitutional convention”
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