Health Bill: Bishop of Newcastle speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke at the second reading of the Health Bill on 13th October 2026, stressing the need to reduce health inequalities and empower patients and communities:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Campbell of Surbiton. I note the historic nature of her excellent speech. I congratulate noble Lords who are making their maiden speeches and welcome the wisdom and experience that they will bring to your Lordships’ House.

I welcome this Bill’s ambition to improve care and make better use of resources. I want to highlight three interlinked issues: trust, health inequalities and the relationships on which good care depends.

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Bishop of Newcastle asks about UK strategy to combat child exploitation

The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on cross-departmental work for protection of child migrants from trafficking and modern slavery on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, according to Home Office statistics, in the first six months of 2025, 10% of detected small boat arrivals were children. What steps are being taken to implement the recommendation of the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner and Every Child Protected Against Trafficking to develop a cross-departmental UK-wide child exploitation strategy?

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Bishop of Leicester asks about value of volunteering to the UK economy

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the value of volunteering to the UK economy.

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Bishop of Chester asks about aggressive actions towards RNLI volunteers involved in rescuing migrants at sea

The Bishop of Chester received the following written answer on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent aggression faced by RNLI volunteers; and what plans they have to support those who serve on lifeboats, particularly in light of their inclusion in the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 as search and rescue personnel.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about efforts to ban trade relations with illegal Israeli settlements

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ban UK trade in goods and services from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in light of the Israeli government’s publication of a tender for the E1 settlement project.

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Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asks about

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich received the following written answer on 12th October 2026:

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asked His Majesty’s Government what conversations they have had with military chaplains and other welfare teams in the Armed Services about the historic and current prevalence of domestic and sexual violence in the service community.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about protection of religious minorities in Iraq

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 12th October 2026:

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

  • what representations they have made to the government of Iraq concerning reports of land disputes and demographic change affecting Christian communities in the Nineveh Plains.
  • what representations they have made to the government of Iraq on protecting the rights and long-term presence of Christians and other religious minorities in the region.
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Bishop of Peterborough asks about community cohesion and social inequality

Bishop of Peterborough

The Bishop of Peterborough received the following written answers on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Peterborough asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between rising social fragmentation and rising levels of poor mental health in the UK.

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Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asks about support for human rights and humanitarian aid overseas

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich received the following written answers on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure they support pragmatic solutions for the delivery of aid in Myanmar, including in areas not in the control of authorities; and what steps they are taking to ensure the decriminalisation of humanitarian aid.

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Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asks about reduction in religious broadcasting

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich received the following written answer on 12th October 2026:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reported 85 per cent reduction in religious broadcasting at peak times across public service media between 2011 and 2022; and what plans they have, if any, to reverse it.

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