The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answer on 26th January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how the war in Gaza might affect respect for international humanitarian law in other conflicts.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about respect for international humanitarian law in wake of Israel-Gaza conflict”The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answer on 24th January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking (1) to assess the lessons of the Oslo peace process, especially in relation to the inclusion of regional actors, and (2) to apply those lessons in their response to current calls from regional players for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about government approach to peace process in Israel and Gaza”The Bishop of Worcester received the following written answer on 22nd January 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK-manufactured weapons sold under export licences are not being used to commit or facilitate violations of international humanitarian law, as required by the Arms Trade Treaty.
Lord Offord of Garvel (Con): The UK export licensing system is based on a thorough risk-assessment for the original export licence before the goods leave the UK.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about weapons exports”The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the disapplication of the Human Rights Act in immigration enforcement, and the impact of this on clergy visas, on 7th December 2023, in response to a government statement on new legislation relating to the UK’s immigration partnership with Rwanda:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I apologise for being slightly delayed for the consideration of this Statement. My understanding is that the Bill disapplies certain sections of the Human Rights Act 1998 to allow public authorities to operate in a way that is incompatible with international obligations. If that is the case, surely that means disregarding the human rights of people seeking asylum, and I struggle to see what human rights can mean if they are not conferred on all human beings. I will be grateful if the Minister can comment on that. I will also be grateful—as would all of us on these Benches—for some clarification of the status of tier 2 ministry religion visas, in light of the new financial threshold. Perhaps it would be possible to have a meeting about that.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about impact of new immigration legislation regarding UK’s partnership with Rwanda”The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the need for training for front line workers in government and essential services to support and recognise the mental health effects of financial stress and strain on 7th December 2023, following a discussion on the Trussell Trust’s recommendation of an essentials guarantee for benefits claimants:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, thinking of the effects of poverty, the Mental Health Foundation has recommended that all front-line workers, including those who work in essential services and government, should be given training and support to know how to respond effectively to the mental health effects of financial stress and strain. Will the Minister agree that this training and support is both vital and necessary?
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about need for specialised training to recognise mental health effects of financial strain for front line workers”The Bishop of Worcester asked about funding for local authorities to support care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children on 5th December 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I join others in welcoming the Minister to his place. I note that Kent County Council announced last week that new arrival centres for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being planned in the area but that the council is waiting for funding from central government. As the Minister said, the right and best place for separated children is under local authority care. What is the timeline for the funding to be issued to support Kent County Council fulfilling its statutory duty, especially given that it is responsible for hundreds more children than the prescribed limit under the national distribution system? We do not want to return to the use of hotels.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about funds for care of unaccompanied asylum seeking children”The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the work of hospices caring for children with terminal and long term conditions during a discussion on hospice funding on 14th November 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I am grateful for this announcement. We have a wonderful hospice in Worcester, the Acorns Children’s Hospice, which does extraordinary work with young people. Does the Minister accept that, although a minority of children die in hospices, the number of children cared for by them greatly exceeds that. Their work is invaluable.
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about children’s hospices”On 13th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the Report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the Bill, in which Bishops took part:
The Bishop of Worcester spoke in a debate on amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill on 20th March 2023, supporting an amendment by Baroness Pinnock that would address inflation in land prices in different regions:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I support the amendment from the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, to which the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford has added her name. She regrets that she is unable to be in her place today; I wish to make some points that undoubtedly she would have contributed had she been here.
As already indicated by the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, the Government’s tabled Amendment 165 is very welcome. The review of Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972, and the correction of the omission of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime—and of police and crime commissioners generally—are necessary and positive steps. However, there remain ways in which the general disposal consent 2003 could be improved to better allow public bodies to dispose of assets for less than market value for social, economic or environmental benefit. We believe that such measures would be very much in line with the Bill’s desired outcome: levelling up communities across the country.
Continue reading “Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Bishop of Worcester supports amendment on land prices”The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the problematic nature of the judicial death penalty during a debate on capital punishment and UK membership of the Council of Europe on 2oth February 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, in view of the comments to which the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, has drawn attention, does the Minister agree that there is something deeply ironic about a society condemning the taking of a person’s life, and in order to demonstrate exactly how strongly it does so, doing exactly that through a judicial killing?
Continue reading “Bishop of Worcester asks about contradictory nature of the death penalty”
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