Hello and welcome to the Parliamentary prayer update, my name is Gareth Wallace and I work in Westminster for the Evangelical Alliance Public Affairs Department.
Fair-trade chocolate and Stop the Traffic
The issue of fairly traded Chocolate is steadily rising up the political agenda. BBC Newsnight recently highlighted the link between modern day child slavery and cocoa production. The anti slavery campaign Stop the Traffik is running a chocolate campaign on this issue and has even given evidence in Parliament to a committee of MPs.
Nearly half the world's chocolate is made from cocoa grown in the Cote d'Ivoire, in Africa.
12,000 children have been trafficked into cocoa farms in Cote d'Ivoire.
When we buy chocolate that we can’t prove has been ethically made, we may become like oppressors ourselves as we have no guarantee that the chocolate was not made with child slave labour.
STOP THE TRAFFIK is calling for people everywhere of all ages to force the chocolate companies to give a guarantee that their chocolate is Traffic Free.
We all want to enjoy eating chocolate, but not at the expense of children’s lives. The only way chocolate companies will take action is if they see their unfairly traded chocolate sales drop. The only way that we can stop the trafficking of children in the production of our chocolate bars is to change which ones we eat. We can choose to only eat chocolate that is guaranteed to be 'Traffik Free' or fairly traded. Perhaps you could send your favourite bar back to the manufacturer telling them that you won’t buy it again until it’s guaranteed to be free from child labour. You can also write to your local supermarket manager asking them to support fair trade.
Please pray for those working tirelessly to highlight the issue of child slavery in chocolate manufacture. Pray for the thousands of children who have never tasted chocolate yet pay for it with their freedom.
Smacking consultation
The Government is reviewing the law on smacking amid continuing calls for a total ban.
When the Children Act 2004 went through Parliament three years ago it fell short of a total ban.
It is still legal for parents to smack their children so long as it does not cause visible harm such as bruising, grazes, scratches, cuts swelling or prolonged reddening of the skin.
Most parents do still smack their children, but usually only as a last resort.
Smacking is only one of a range of measures that can be used to discipline a child. Parents should certainly not be criminalized for it.
A total ban on smacking would either be unworkable or would involve huge government interference in family life.
A review from the Department of Education is seeking the views of parents on physical punishment. The Department is calling for evidence from those working with children and families on the practical consequences of the changes in the law brought about by the Children Act 2004.
Please consider responding to the Government consultation. It is available on the Department for Education and Skills website.
The deadline for comment is the 10th of August.
Please pray for parents and children across the United Kingdom. Pray for respect, understanding and love between parents and children, that family life might be strong and would help to build up community in our nation.
Ian Duncan Smith, CCF, Family and Marriage
The Evangelical Alliance and CARE have welcomed a Conservative policy group’s proposals to give single earner married couples a £20-a-week tax break.
The proposal is just one of 200 put forward by the Social Justice Policy Group, headed by former Conservative Party leader Ian Duncan Smith, in the report "Breakthrough Britain: Ending the Costs of Social Breakdown."
Other proposals include a higher Working Tax Credit payment of £32-a-week for all couples.
Dr R. David Muir, the Evangelical Alliance’s Public Policy Directory, said, “The Alliance’s Faith and Nation report recently called on the Government to promote laws and financial incentives that strengthen marriage and family life as a solid foundation for society. I therefore praise Ian Duncan Smith for his bold and fair proposal to support marriage through the tax system.”
Please consider writing to you MP commending the Breakthrough Britain report and highlighting your support for marriage.
A online discussion board is due to be set up in the next few days, please consider posting positive comments on the website to encourage politicians that issues around family and marriage are vitally important to voters.
Pray for MP’s and families over summer recess…
Parliament rises for the summer recess on Thursday the 26th of July. The House of Commons and House of Lords return on the 8th of October.
Please pray for MPs as they immerse themselves in their constituency work and for MP’s and Peers as they take well earned holiday. Pray that Members of Parliament will be able to have some quality family time away from the pressures of Westminster.
Further Prayer and Action
For further insights on these and other issues The Evangelical Alliance Public Affairs department produces a monthly parliamentary magazine, PQ, and a monthly ‘Prayer and Campaigns’ action and prayer sheet. Both of these are available on our website along with topical political briefing material. If you have any questions please e-mail the public affairs team at Pub-aff@ eauk.org. Thank you.
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