On 17th January 2022, the House of Lords debated the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Bill in its report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
Division 1:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede (Lab), to require the government to set up a review of drinks spiking and needle spiking in pubs and other venues.
The amendment was agreed. Content: 237 / Not Content: 190
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester voted Content.
Division 2:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Rosser (Lab), to insert a new clause into the bill which would “establish a duty of candour on members of the police workforce.” Hansard
The amendment was agreed. Content: 252 / Not Content: 179
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester voted Content.
Division 3:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Newlove (Con), which would:
“require police forces to record data on crimes motivated by hostility towards the victim’s sex or gender, as well as requiring courts to take into account this hostility as an aggravating factor when deciding the seriousness of cases which are not sexual or domestic offences.” Hansard
The amendment was agreed. Content: 242 / Not Content: 185
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester voted Content.
Division 4:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Coaker (Lab), to remove clauses that would place restrictions on “noisy” protests.
The amendment was agreed. Content: 261 / Not Content: 166
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Worcester voted Content.
Division 5:
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of St Albans took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Paddick, to leave out clause 57 of the bill, which would have introduced limits on the right to protest if the protest caused “serious disruption.”
The amendment was agreed. Content 238 / Not Content: 171
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of St Albans voted Content.
Division 6:
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of Worcester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Viscount Colville of Culross (CB), which would enable obstructive demonstrations to take place in Parliament Square with permission from “the relevant person.”
The amendment was agreed. Content: 236 / Not Content: 158
The Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of Worcester voted Content.
Division 7:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of Worcester took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con):
Baroness Williams of Trafford moved amendment 148, after clause 62, to insert the new clause Offence of locking on.
Baroness Williams of Trafford: This amendment creates a new offence of “locking on”, involving the attachment of an individual to another individual, to an object or to land, or an object to another object or to land. It is a requirement of the offence that the act causes or is capable of causing serious disruption to two or more individuals or an organisation and that the accused intends that to occur or is reckless as to whether it will occur. Hansard
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 163 / Not Content: 216
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of Worcester voted Not Content.
Division 8:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Rosser (Lab):
Lord Rosser: 150A: Leave out subsection (2) and insert—
“(2) After subsection (1) insert—“(1ZA) If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway which is part of the Strategic Road Network he is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks or a fine or both.””
Member’s explanatory statement:
This is an amendment to Government Amendment 150 creating a prison sentence for anyone wilfully obstructing a highway which is part of the Strategic Road Network, removing reference to a general highway. Hansard
The amendment was agreed. Content: 216 / Not Content: 160
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Content.
Division 9:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Williams of Trafford that would criminalise obstruction of major transport works.
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 154 / Not Content: 208
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Not Content.
Division 10:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Williams of Trafford relating to effects of public actions on key national infrastructure:
Baroness Williams of Trafford: This amendment makes it an offence for a person to do an act which interferes with the use or operation of key national infrastructure where the person intends the act to have that effect or is reckless as to whether it will do so. This is subject to a defence of reasonable excuse and a defence applying to industrial action. Hansard
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 153 / Not Content: 198
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Not Content.
Division 11:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Williams of Trafford regarding police stop and search powers:
Baroness Williams of Trafford: This amendment amends section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to allow a constable to stop and search a person or vehicle if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that they will find an article made, adapted or intended for use in the course of or in connection with an offence listed in the amendment. Hansard
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 141 / Not Content: 205
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Not Content.
Division 12:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Williams of Trafford that would give police powers to stop and search protestors without suspicion.
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 128 / Not Content: 212
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Not Content.
Division 13:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Baroness Williams of Trafford that would enable the issuing of Serious Disruption Prevention Orders:
Baroness Williams of Trafford: This amendment contains provisions about serious disruption prevention orders. These are orders which can be imposed on a person who has committed two protest-related offences or who has, on at least two occasions, committed protest-related breaches of injunctions or caused or contributed to the commission of such offences or breaches or to activity related to a protest that resulted in serious disruption to two or more individuals or to an organisation. Hansard
The amendment was disagreed. Content: 124 / Not Content: 199
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Not Content.
Division 14:
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London took part in a vote on an amendment tabled by Lord Best (CB) to repeal the Vagrancy Act of 1824, which had criminalised begging and rough sleeping.
The amendment was agreed. Content: 144 / Not Content: 101.
The Bishop of Birmingham, the Bishop of Bristol, the Bishop of Leeds, and the Bishop of London voted Content.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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