Tag: Week in Westminster

This week in the House of Lords bishops  spoke in a debate on defence and peacebuilding, and asked questions about religious freedom and the Commonwealth summit, universal Credit, Brexit, food banks, Israel, and schools. The Bishop of Birmingham issued a response to the Autumn Budget statement. The former Bishop of London, Rt Revd Lord Chartres, was introduced to the House as a life peer and took his seat on the crossbenches. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 20th-24th November 2017”

This week in the House of Lords bishops led debates on rising household debt and the freeze on benefits and spoke in other debates on universal credit and education funding. They asked questions about Zimbabwe, new housing, freedom of religion and belief, Saudi Arabia, human rights, and cathedrals. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 13th-17th November 2017”

Parliament sat for two days this week, before rising for the short November recess. In the House of Lords bishops spoke in a debate on children and the internet, and asked a question about technical education in the North East. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a question about the anniversary of the Five Articles of Perth. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 6th-8th November 2017”

This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on strengthening families and in response to Government plans on betting terminals. They asked questions about poverty, NHS charging, benefits freezes, universal credit, children’s and workplace mental health support, welfare of those in police care, and metal theft from churches. Bishops also voted on amendments to the Government’s Financial Guidance and Claims Bill. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a question about church music and St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate Church. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 30th October – 3rd November 2017”

This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on the liberation of Raqqa, intergenerational fairness, Rohingya refugees, air and water pollution and the Political Activity (Funding and Expenditure) Bill. They asked questions about automatically increasing credit card limits, animal welfare, counter terrorism and private renters with budgetary problems. The Second Church Estates Commissioner hosted a debate on teaching English to refugees and spoke in a debate about modern slavery, highlighting the work of The Clewer Initiative. She also answered questions in the House of Commons on income inequality, the Heritage Lottery Fund, clergy vocations, the oppression of Christians overseas and same-sex marriage.

Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 23rd-27th October 2017”

This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on the future of Channel 4 and commemorating the First World War Battle of Passchendaele. They asked questions about housing, immigration, the economy and devolution in the north and Yorkshire, Universal Credit, health and social care, and on Christian-Muslim relations. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 16th-20th October 2017”

Parliament returned from recess this week. In the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on housing and prison reform, responded to the Government’s statement about its race disparity audit and asked questions about military action against Daesh. Bishops also spoke on the Government’s Data Protection Bill and voted on an amendment to the Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill. In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on LGBT support and the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation in Europe. Downing Street announced that the former Bishop of London, Rt Revd Richard Chartres, would be made a Crossbench (independent) Peer. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 9th-13th October 2017”

The House of Commons and the House of Lords are both currently in recess, but this week written answers were published to questions to Government from bishops on Burma, Sudan, gambling and debt relief. Parliament will return on 9th October.

Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 18th-22nd September 2017”

Welcome to our round up of activity in Parliament. The House of Commons and the House of Lords sat over the past two weeks, before rising again for the Party Conference recess.

During that time bishops spoke in debates on prison overcrowding, digital understanding, Brexit, and gambling. They supported bills on raising the age of criminal responsibility and on supporting the victims of modern slavery.

Bishops also asked questions about housing, children’s hospices, the Rohingya people in Myanmar, the Banking Standards Commission and school admissions. The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions from MPs  on cathedral entry charges and church lavatories, and spoke about Coventry’s bid to be 2021 City of Culture.

Newspapers carried letters and articles from Lords Spiritual on economic, welfare and gambling policies, and the Speaker’s Chaplain was interviewed on BBC2 Newsnight about religion in politics.

Parliament is now in recess again and will return on 9th October. Continue reading “Fortnight in Westminster, 4th – 15th September 2017”

Welcome to our weekly round up of activity in Parliament. This week bishops in the House of Lords led a debate on welcoming refugees, supported an amendment to a Government Bill aimed at alleviating problem debt, and also spoke on the electricity market and transport to and from the island of Lindisfarne. Bishops also asked questions about mental health provision in schools, unaccompanied child refugees, Iraq, South Sudan, Nigeria, Indonesia, religious freedom in Russia, Tajikistan and Yemen, the UNHCR, the 2018 Commonwealth Summit, executions in Saudi Arabia, stalking offences and transport in the north-east. The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions from MPs in the House of Commons on food banks and rural church growth. Parliament rose on Thursday for its summer recess and will return in September. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 17th-20th July 2017”