Tag: St Albans

Bishop of St Albans leads debate on civil society, the common good and the Bishops’ General Election pastoral letter

“I am convinced that there is urgent work to be done to establish a new politics that seeks the common good. Indeed, I am keen that we will be able to explore the forms that such an approach to politics might take and the role that churches, charities and voluntary organisations, and indeed all intermediate institutions, can play in moving us in that direction.” – Bishop of St Albans, 11/6/15

On the 11th June 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, led a House of Lords debate on the pastoral letter of the House of Bishops for the General Election of 2015. The debate was titled:

‘That this House takes note of the role played by civil society, in the light of the pastoral letter from the Church of England’s House of Bishops, Who is my neighbour?’

The Bishop’s speech is below in full, along with his closing remarks and links to the speeches of the other 16 participants.The speech and subsequent debate can also be watched here.

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, there is much in our nation for which we can be profoundly grateful. Next week, as we mark 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta, we give thanks for the long, yet sometimes tortuous, path that has led us to becoming a modern democracy. That moment was if not the birth then perhaps at least the conception of civil society at the beginning of a long gestation.

Last month, we celebrated 70 years of peace since the end of the Second World War, by which time civil society as we know it today was coming of age. As a nation, we have experienced extraordinary levels of economic growth over recent decades. Life expectancy has increased significantly and, importantly for this debate, in many communities in our nations, civil society is still strong and thriving. I for one am immensely grateful to be living in modern Britain and do not want to give any time to sentimental talk about a bygone era that probably never existed. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads debate on civil society, the common good and the Bishops’ General Election pastoral letter”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about religious freedom in Saudi Arabia and case of Raif Badawi

On the 11th June 2015 Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty’s Government “what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the confirmation of a sentence of 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison against Raif Badawi.” The Bishop of St Albans , Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a supplementary question:

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, your Lordships’ House will not be unaware of the discrepancy between the attitude to human rights displayed in Saudi Arabia’s public condemnation of the Charlie Hebdo atrocities and this case, where somebody is being punished on the basis of religion. Does the Minister agree that there is a considerable dissonance between the public image that Saudi Arabia is seeking to present and the country’s internal affairs?

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: My Lords, I think we have to recognise that the actions of the Saudi Government in these respects have the support of the vast majority of the Saudi population. Against that background, we maintain our view that freedom of religion and belief and freedom of expression are core rights that lead to long-term stability and good governance.

(via Parliament.uk)

Bishop of St Albans highlights role of churches in building peace and stability in Ukraine

“We need a more adequate humanitarian response to the human suffering resulting from the conflict, and to support and strengthen the efforts of the churches and faith communities of Ukraine for justice and peace.” – Bishop of St Albans, 24/3/15

On 24th March 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, took part in a debate tabled by Lord Tugendhat “that this House takes note of the Report of the European Union Committee on The EU and Russia: before and beyond the crisis in Ukraine (6th Report, HL Paper 115)”.

 

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I add my congratulations on the maiden speech of the noble Earl, Lord Oxford and Asquith, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Tugendhat, for securing this debate, which provides a valuable space in which to explore the multifaceted and fast-changing situation in the region. The EU Committee’s report has opened a welcome opportunity to reassess the UK’s relationship with both Russia and Ukraine on a bilateral level and as part of the EU. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans highlights role of churches in building peace and stability in Ukraine”

Bishop of St Albans- Homelessness (Written Answer)

On 18th March 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received an answer to a written question on Government statistics on homelessness.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL5086), when the United Kingdom Statistics Authority expects to complete its assessment of “statistics on homelessness covering homelessness prevention and relief, and rough sleeping”; and where it will be possible to access a copy of its assessment.

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Bishop of St Albans asks Government about help for Syrian and Iraqi refugees

On 17th March 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received three written answers to questions of Government about assistance to civilians displaced by conflict in Syria and Iraq:
Syria
Bishop of St Albans
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and other support has been given, or will be given, to the governments of Lebanon and Jordan to ensure they can keep their borders open for Syrian refugees fleeing the conflict in that country.

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about help for Syrian and Iraqi refugees”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government if they have plans to increase the public forest estate

On 17th March 2015 Baroness Royall of Blaisdon asked Her Majesty’s Government “what steps they are taking to protect the Forestry Commission’s stake in Forest Holidays and to ensure that in the event of a sale by the majority shareholder they would not lose all management control of any future development.” 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 Forestry Commission in England is to be congratulated on the significant rise in the number of people visiting our public forest estates, not least as it is against the background of a recent report which suggests that the number of people visiting rural areas has slightly declined. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government if they have plans to increase the public forest estate”

Bishop of St Albans – food security and Syria (Written Answers)

On Monday 16th March 2015, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received answers to two written questions on (i) food security, and (ii) the future of displaced Syrians.

Bishop of St AlbansFood Security

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent research from the National Farmers’ Union on the decline in food production in the United Kingdom and its impact on food security.

Lord de Mauley (Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs):This Government is committed to helping UK food producers thrive and expand. We are working with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and others to support a competitive UK farming industry, including through our £160 million investment in applied research under the agri-tech strategy, as well as the new Rural Development Programme for England, which includes £141 million dedicated to improving agricultural productivity.

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Bishop of St Albans speaks on need to change attitude towards debt, credit and saving

“We need to work to move our society away from the current situation in which indebtedness is increasingly seen as the norm. We need to find ways of changing attitudes to credit and saving for the long term” – Bishop of St Albans, 12/3/15

On 12th March 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion in the name of Lord Stevenson of Balmacara, “to ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they will take to implement the report on the Money Advice Service undertaken by Christine Farnish.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, spoke about the importance of good financial advice services, access to affordable credit and the need for high quality financial education for young people.Bishop of St Albans

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Bishop of St Albans asks Government about resettlement of Syrian refugees

On 10th March 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, received a written answer to the following question of Government:

Bishop of St AlbansLord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review their resettlement policy for Syrian refugees in the light of the number who are continuing to seek refuge.

Lord Bates: The Government is deeply concerned about the crisis in Syria, the suffering and hardship it is causing for millions of displaced Syrians in the region, and the strain it is placing on their host countries. Given the scale of the crisis, we believe the most effective way to ensure the UK’s help has the greatest impact for displaced people and their host countries is through substantial humanitarian aid and actively seeking an end to the conflict so that refugees can return to their homes and livelihoods safely. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about resettlement of Syrian refugees”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government to step up humanitarian aid in Tikrit

On 10th March 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Rev Alan Smith, asked a question in the House of Lords on humanitarian assistance for the people of Tikrit, Iraq. He followed it with a supplementary question to the Minister. Those exchanges, along with a transcript of all subsequent questions on the same by Peers, are below. 

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement by the United Nations that 28,000 civilians have been displaced from the city of Tikrit by the actions of Islamic State, what plans they have to increase the provision of humanitarian aid to the conflict area. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government to step up humanitarian aid in Tikrit”