Bishop of Leicester raises need for openness to new medical practices in debate on international partnerships

The Bishop of Leicester spoke in a debate on international medical partnerships on 17th September 2026, stressing the need for openness to new ways of practice and a sense of cultural humility:

I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Crisp, for securing this debate, and it is an honour to follow him. I thank him sincerely for his sustained work over a number of decades to show how medical partnerships with low-income and middle-income countries bring benefits both to those countries and to our own NHS.

This is something very dear to my own heart. My wife is a paediatrician and, together, we worked for a number of years in west Africa. My son has just graduated and started his first job as a doctor in Derby. Earlier this year, he did his medical elective in east Africa and, because he studied at the University of Newcastle, he was able to do the whole of his second year at Newcastle’s campus in Malaysia, an advantage he did not know about when he applied to that university. In a number of ways, cross-cultural medical work has been a big part of my family’s experience.

Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester raises need for openness to new medical practices in debate on international partnerships”

Bishop of Hereford tables short debate on impact of recent pressures on agriculture

The Bishop of Hereford tabled a question for short debate on the impact of economic uncertainty, regulatory change, and environmental pressures on the mental health of those working in agriculture on 17th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of economic uncertainty, regulatory change, and environmental pressures on the mental health of those working in agriculture.

My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this issue in your Lordships’ House. I declare my interest as a patron of the Agricultural Chaplains Association and bishop of the most rural diocese in England. Clergy and agricultural chaplains across my diocese, and indeed the nation, are on the front line of the pastoral response to the mental health crisis among agricultural workers. They are so often the ones who show up in times of crisis and sit with people at their moments of greatest need. They provide comfort to the families of the recently bereaved and take funerals.

Although it is imperfect, evidence suggests that British farming communities experience mental health concerns and likely rates of suicide disproportionate to the general population of Britain. The Royal Agriculture Benevolent Institution’s 2021 Big Farming Survey found that almost a fifth of respondents knew someone who had attempted suicide in the last five years. Indeed, 94% of British farmers agreed that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today, according to the Farm Safety Foundation’s 2025 report.

Continue reading “Bishop of Hereford tables short debate on impact of recent pressures on agriculture”

Bishop of Leicester asks about role of defence funding in combatting internal threats

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on the need to protect citizens from internal as well as external threats during a discussion on defence funding on 17th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, the best causally identified route of the rise of populist parties and extremist groups in this country is poverty, alongside deindustrialisation, austerity and perceived community decline. Does the Minister agree that the duty of a Government to protect their citizens includes protecting them from internal threats as well as external ones?

Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester asks about role of defence funding in combatting internal threats”

Bishop of Hereford expresses support of the Bishops Benches for House of Lords reform

The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a debate on a report from the Retirement and Participation Committee on 16th September 2026, expressing the support of the Lords Spiritual for reforms to the size of the House of Lords and some concerns on the bench regarding the pace and nature of reforms:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I am grateful to the committee for its report and for the serious and thoughtful way in which it has approached the difficult question of the future size and composition of this House.

My right reverend friend the Bishop of Manchester, the Convenor of the Lords Spiritual, made a written submission to the committee on behalf of these Benches, but is unfortunately unable to be in his place today. The Lords spiritual have long supported reforms that strengthen the effectiveness and credibility of this House while safeguarding its distinctiveness from the other place in its expertise and culture. We therefore welcome the opportunity to consider proposals that seek to create a smaller and more sustainable House.

Continue reading “Bishop of Hereford expresses support of the Bishops Benches for House of Lords reform”

Bishop of Hereford asks about interest on government debt

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on the burden of debt interest payments to the future taxpayer during a discussion on government debt on 16th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, a recent report by the Institute for Public Policy Research projects that debt interest payments will increase from the current 10% of revenue to 20% by 2075. The decisions that we take today about taxation and spending should be taken with regard to our moral obligations to the generation that follows us. What assessment have the Government made of the extent to which today’s debt interest payments transfer the burden of current spending to future generations of taxpayers?

Continue reading “Bishop of Hereford asks about interest on government debt”

Bishop of Leicester asks about voluntary work

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answers on 16th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of volunteering for work-readiness.

Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester asks about voluntary work”

Bishop of Winchester asks about disability rights protection

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 16th September 2026:

The Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government when the guidance on the Down Syndrome Act 2022 will be published; and what steps they have taken to protect the legal rights of those with Down syndrome until the publication of the guidance.

Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks about disability rights protection”

Votes: Financial Services and Markets Bill

On 15th September 2026, the House of Lords debated the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part.

Continue reading “Votes: Financial Services and Markets Bill”

Bishop of Hereford asks about sustainability of rural economies

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on the sustainability of rural economies during a discussion on the government’s home building target on 15th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, many villages are increasingly unable to retain young families, agricultural workers and other key members of the rural workforce because of a shortage of affordable homes. As the Government pursue their housebuilding target, how will they ensure that rural communities remain sustainable local economies, rather than becoming places local people are priced out of?

Continue reading “Bishop of Hereford asks about sustainability of rural economies”

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about impact of changes to VAT on church buildings

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 15th September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made on the impact of changing the recoverability of VAT on the repair and reuse of heritage buildings, including churches, and in particular the viability of converting heritage buildings to appropriate housing.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about impact of changes to VAT on church buildings”