women – Page 3 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Southwark takes part in debate marking International Women’s’ day

The Bishop of Southwark gave a speech during a debate to mark international women’s day on 8th March 2024, paying tribute to the women of the Bishops Benches and raising the impact of poverty on women in the UK and overseas:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Barran, for securing this important debate on International Women’s Day. I look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Casey of Blackstock.

It is my belief that the kingdom of God is a place of radical inclusion in which all are welcome and all shall flourish. I speak as the duty bishop today, but I am mindful of the determined advocates on this Bench, which include the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester, who is attending the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about applications for mother-and-baby units in prisons

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 30th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many applications were received for a Mother and Baby Unit place in prison in the past five years; and of those, how many were (1) accepted, or (2) refused, broken down by reason for refusal.

Lord Bellamy (Con, Ministry of Justice): Total figures for applications received, approved and refused are provided in the table below.

As decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and the reasons can be complex, reasons for refusal are not currently collated, and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about number of female prisoners in secure hospitals

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many women in prison were transferred to a secure hospital under provisions in the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.

Lord Bellamy (Con): Please see below table showing the number of female prisoners who were transferred to a mental health hospital under Part 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 ¹in each of the last five years. This is in the context of a female prison population which stood at 3,253 as of June 2022:

Bishop of Gloucester asks about family relationships of female prisoners and implementation of the Farmer Review

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 12th July 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many of the 33 recommendations contained in The Farmer Review for Women, published in June 2019, have been implemented.

Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Southwark supports amendments to limit the use of force and detention on pregnant women

On 7th June 2023, the House of Lords debated the Illegal Migration Bill in committee. The Bishop of Southwark spoke in support of amendments to the bill; in the name of the Bishop of Gloucester, Baroness Lister of Burtersett, and other peers; that would place limits on the detention of pregnant women and the use of force against children and pregnant women:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, who has expertly outlined why these amendments are needed. My good friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester has added her name in support of Amendments 68 and 70, and regrets she is not able to be here to give her support in person. I share her concern about the impact of detention on pregnant women in particular, impact which we know is considerable. Others will rightly draw attention to the impact on children, and the suggestion of the use of force against either group is unspeakable. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons advises that there

“is no safe way to use force against a pregnant woman, and to initiate it for the purpose of removal is to take an unacceptable risk”.

Bishop of Derby asks about support for Afghan women being resettled in the UK

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on targeted funding to aid support and integration for Afghan women being resettled in the UK, following a government statement on the Afghan resettlement scheme on 30th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I share many of the concerns that have been expressed about the routes into this country and the nature, safety and appropriateness of the accommodation for those who make it here—those to whom, as we have already noted, we have a moral obligation to extend sanctuary and welcome in this very particular circumstance.

Bishop of Derby asks about sport opportunities for women in prison

The Bishop of Derby received the following written answer on 22nd March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Derby asked His Majesty’s Government:

what steps they have taken to improve the opportunities for sport and physical activity for women and girls in the criminal justice system.
what progress they have made in improving the availability of sport and physical activity for women and girls in the criminal justice system; and what plans they have to expand provision.

Lord Bellamy (Con): Encouraging engagement in sport and exercise amongst women and girls in contact with the criminal justice system can have a significant impact on reducing reoffending through both early intervention and diversionary activities, as well as rehabilitation for those sentenced.

Bishop of London speaks in debate to mark international women’s day

The Bishop of London took part in a debate to mark International Women’s Day on 10th March 2023, speaking about the role of women in the Church of England and in healthcare and nursing:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is wonderful to be able to participate in this year’s International Women’s Day debate alongside such inspirational women. It is an honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Finlay.

I was recently fortunate to have a participant from the Jo Cox Women in Leadership Programme spend a day with me and the Bishop of Stepney as we visited the Stepney area, which is part of the diocese of London. The House may know that the programme was set up in Jo’s memory and in recognition of her leadership and the empowerment of many women. I commend the programme and its recognition of the need for women leaders to spend their time with other women leaders.

Bishop of London asks about career progression and gender pay gap for nurses

The Bishop of London asked a question on government support for career progression to senior positions in nursing, during a debate on the pay disparity between men and women on 8th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, in 2019 the Royal College of Nursing found that 90% of all nurses in the UK are women and that they fill less than a third of senior positions and earn on average 17% less than men. That is despite the fact that the Royal College of Nursing also noted that nursing is a gendered profession seen as a woman’s role. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that female nurses progress to senior positions?

Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con): I will talk to my colleagues in Health about that issue. I was not aware of it, but it is important and I will take it forward and come back to the right reverend Prelate.

Hansard

Bishop of Gloucester asks about female prisoners categorised as a serious risk to the public

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 6th March 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many restricted status prisoners were held in the female estate in each of the last 10 years.

Lord Bellamy (Con): A Restricted Status (RS) prisoner is any female, young person or young adult prisoner, convicted or on remand, whose escape would present a serious risk to the public and who is required to be held in designated secure accommodation.

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