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.
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”Representation of the People Bill: Bishop of Hereford raises threat of AI deepfakes
The Bishop of Hereford also spoke at the second reading of the Representation of the People Bill on 14th September 2026, raising the issue of technological deepfakes being used to undermine the democratic process:
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I join a number of noble Lords who have raised the issue of deepfakes in electoral campaigning. I am pleased to be supported in this by my right reverend friend the Bishop of Leicester, who is, unfortunately, unable to be here today. It is regrettable that the Bill does not address the growing challenge to our democracy posed by deepfakes. Democracy depends not only upon the integrity of our electoral processes but upon the integrity of the information environment in which those processes operate, as the noble Lord, Lord Sahota, powerfully reminded us. Voters must be able to know when political content has been generated or materially altered by artificial intelligence. Without that assurance, it becomes harder for citizens to distinguish truth from fabrication, and easier for bad actors to manipulate democratic debate.
Deepfakes pose a distinct challenge to our democracy because they erode the trust on which democratic life depends. They diminish confidence in what voters see and hear, weakening our shared basis for public deliberative discourse. Ofcom research from 2024 found that 57% of respondents were concerned about the impact of deepfakes during the general election; almost half reported that they did not know if they had seen one in the previous week, and a quarter reported that they had.
Continue reading “Representation of the People Bill: Bishop of Hereford raises threat of AI deepfakes”Representation of the People Bill: Bishop of Lichfield makes final speech in the Lords
The Bishop of Lichfield gave his valedictory speech at the second reading of the Representation of the People Bill on 14th September 2026, on the role of the Church in civic engagement and the contributions of faith communities to democracy:
The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: My Lords, this is an important and timely debate, as any opportunity to re-establish trust in politics is one that we must embrace eagerly. We are sadly familiar with the phrase, “A plague on both your houses”, used in a political context. The word “both” may be rather out of date, but the sentiment expressed encapsulates the frustration that many voters feel with the entire political system, thus overlooking many principled, honest and hard-working MPs, Peers and their staff.
I will mention two points in particular. First, in my visits to prisons, I meet many men with time to think and to think deeply. Most people come to serve their sentence in prison only after a string of failures: personal failures and the failures of services, systems and institutions, including the Church. To have that direct and painful experience of system failure and yet, through disenfranchisement, to have no means to participate in efforts for their correction or renewal, can further erode any sense of civic engagement and belonging. I hope that this House will consider whether votes might be extended to at least some convicted prisoners as one dimension of the penal journey to rehabilitation.
Continue reading “Representation of the People Bill: Bishop of Lichfield makes final speech in the Lords”Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich speaks at second reading
The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich spoke at the second reading of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill on 11th September 2026, requesting clarification on how the principles of restorative justice would be integrated into youth criminal justice:
The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich: My Lords, I was encouraged by the Government’s White Paper on youth crime, which highlighted the relationship between complex needs and the experiences of youth justice. However, the increasing prevalence of such needs underscores the necessity of retaining the specialist expertise of the Youth Justice Board.
In my own diocese, I have seen how those needs can draw children into crime; for example, through county lines. Many young people who come into contact with these networks are not simply offenders but often victims of exploitation and trauma. This is particularly true for Suffolk’s looked-after children and care leavers, who are at much greater risk of poor mental health and social exclusion, and are over-represented in the justice system. County lines activity provides a clear example of the importance of meeting complex needs with specialist expertise. The Youth Justice Board has long held this unique expertise, championing a child-first approach which prioritises prevention and safeguarding. We should therefore be cautious about transferring significant functions away from it.
Continue reading “Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (Restoration of Powers and Responsibilities) Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich speaks at second reading”Bishop of Sheffield asks about water regulation
The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 11th September 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 30 June (HL1196), what steps they are taking to encourage citizen science and public observations of real-time environmental changes to monitor water management and flood risk.
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about water regulation”Bishop of Sheffield asks about support for internally displaced people
The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 11th September 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 7 July (HL1510), what steps they are taking to collaborate with faith-based international partners to help civilians who have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict and disaster.
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about support for internally displaced people”Bishop of Chester asks about sustainability of Jodrell Bank Observatory
The Bishop of Chester asked a question on the long-term stability of the Jodrell Bank Observatory in his diocese on 10th September 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I declare the interest that Jodrell Bank is in my diocese, and we are rightly proud of the work done there, not least in releasing young scientists. What principles are His Majesty’s Government using in reviewing these projects, particularly in the communication of those reviews, in order that long-term stability might be prioritised?
Continue reading “Bishop of Chester asks about sustainability of Jodrell Bank Observatory”Financial Services and Markets Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on environmental protections
The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of a group of amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Bill focused on environmental protection on 9th September 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, financial stability is crucial for sustainable growth. It is what allows people and families to plan for the future, to reliably hold savings, pensions and mortgages, and of course it supports businesses to create the jobs on which we depend. In the same way, financial growth and environmental stewardship are interdependent. Growth provides us with resources that allow us to invest in new sustainable fuels, clean infrastructure and new ways to tackle the climate crisis.
Continue reading “Financial Services and Markets Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on environmental protections”Archbishop of York asks about combatting illegal Israeli settlements
The Archbishop of York asked a question on further measures necessary to respond to the establishment of illegal settlements by Israel, following a government statement on Israel and Palestine on 9th September 2026:
The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, like others in this House, I came face to face with settler militia and the impact on settlements while visiting the south Hebron hills last year. Therefore, with many on these Benches, I welcome this Statement. We have called for such principled action over many years. We believe that these measures are just, necessary and, frankly, overdue, although we also want to emphasise that, in acting against specific policies of the Israeli Government, we of course remain unreservedly opposed to the evils of antisemitism, here in the UK and everywhere. I have a specific question. Does the Minister accept, given the E1 tenders—E1 has already been mentioned, but I think tenders are coming up on 19 October and are about to be opened—that further measures are needed to deter Israeli banks from guaranteeing such bids?
Continue reading “Archbishop of York asks about combatting illegal Israeli settlements”
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