St Albans – Page 34 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Albans asks about efforts to collect evidence of violations of international law

On 6th December 2023, he Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the collection of evidence regarding alleged violations of international law, following a Commons Urgent Question on the humanitarian situation in Gaza:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC has called for the collection of evidence where there are alleged violations of international law. What are His Majesty’s Government doing to help with the collection of any such evidence?

Bishop of St Albans asks about reports of Russian arms and goods being smuggled through Turkish ports

On 5th December 2023, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the government’s assessment of reports of Russians arms being smuggled through Turkish ports

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, could the Minister comment on his department’s assessment of reports that not only has Turkey vastly increased its trade with Russia but that Turkish ports are being used for arms smuggling and, in some cases, exporting dual-purpose goods into Russia, thereby helping Russia? I wonder what the assessment is, and what we might be able to do about that.

Bishop of St Albans asks about number of children living in homes with damp and mould

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of children living in homes with damp; and the impact of damp and mould on children’s health in (1) 2021, and (2) 2022.

Bishop of St Albans asks about effectiveness of CCTV to address fly tipping

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of CCTV in addressing fly tipping hotspots.

Lord Benyon (Con, DEFRA): Across two rounds of our fly-tipping grant scheme, we have awarded nearly £1.2 million to help more than 30 councils purchase equipment, such as CCTV, to tackle fly-tipping at known hot-spots.

Bishop of St Albans asks about gaming related harms suffered by young people

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 5th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government how many children and young people were being treated by the NHS for addiction to video games or gaming disorder annually from 2015 to 2022.

Bishop of St Albans asks about hunger and poor nutrition in children in the UK

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 4th December 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, following a survey by the School and Public Health Nurses Association and the British Dental Association in June which showed that 65 per cent of health practitioners reported that children’s health had got worse over the last year as a result of hunger, what plans they have to address hunger and poor nutrition in children.

Lord Markham (Con, DHSC): The Government understands concerns regarding food inflation and its impact on the current cost of living, and as such is providing support of over £94 billion over 2022/23 and 2023/24 to help households and individuals.

Bishop of St Albans asks about use of farmland as flood defences

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question about the use of farmland as flood defences, and the need for compensation for farmers, on 30th November 2023, following a discussion on maintenance of flood defences in England:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, more than half of Britain’s best farmland is on flood plains. Farmers are providing a public service by protecting towns and cities from flooding, but this means that they incur costs. What are His Majesty’s Government doing to ensure that farmers are adequately recompensed for this public service that they provide for our nation?

Bishop of St Albans asks about rural homelessness

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 30th November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what processes are in place for counting and identifying instances of rural homelessness.

Baroness Penn (Con, Department for Levelling-up, Housing & Communities): The Government understands rural homelessness presents unique challenges which can differ from urban areas.

Bishop of St Albans asks about contingency plans for grain shipments from Ukraine

On 28th November 2023, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on contingency plans for grain shipping following an update on the conflict in Ukraine:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I was interested to hear the reference to the insurance for shipping. We are all aware, I think, of the vital importance of getting the grain out of Ukraine, both to support the Ukrainian economy and because it is making such a difference in feeding many parts of the world. Can the Minister tell us whether other contingency plans are being made in case shipping lanes get blocked again, and not least whether there other ways of getting grain out of Ukraine while we have the time to make those preparations?

Coroners (Determination of Suicide) Bill: First Reading

On 28th November 2023, the Bishop of St Albans’ Private Members Bill, the Coroners (Determination of Suicide) Bill, was introduced in the House of Lords:

A Bill to require the coroner, following an inquest, to record an opinion as to the relevant factors in a case of death by suicide; and for connected purposes.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I declare my interest as a vice-president of Peers for Gambling Reform.

The Bill was introduced by the Lord Bishop of St Albans, read a first time and ordered to be printed.

Hansard

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