parliamentaryunit

Bishop of Southwark pays tribute to departing Clerk of Parliaments

The Bishop of Southwark joined in tributes to the departing Clerk of Parliaments, Simon Burton, on 13th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, from these Benches I echo the comments of those noble Lords who have gone before me. I pay tribute to Simon Burton, whose service as Clerk of the Parliaments has been of lasting value to the House.

The strength of our parliamentary life depends not only on those who speak in debate but on those who ensure that our work is carried out with integrity, order and constitutional faithfulness. In that vital task, Simon has served with distinction. As Clerk of the Parliaments, he has been both guardian of ancient custom and wise guide through modern complexity. He has exercised that responsibility with clarity of judgment, intellectual rigour and an unfailing sense of proportion.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about current conflict in Iran

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 13th April 2026:

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States about risks to Iran’s territorial integrity of arming separatist groups in Iran.

Bishop of Leicester asks about immigration status of care leavers

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 13th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government how many care leavers did not have their immigration status resolved before reaching the age of 18 in each of the last five years.

Bishop of Leicester asks about report on intra-community violence in Leicester

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 13th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the 2022 Leicester violence, Better Together: Understanding the 2022 Violence in Leicester, published on 23 February.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of Southwark supports amendments on conscientious objections

The Bishop of Southwark spoke in support of an amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill) intended to provide a framework for conscientious objections and opt-outs to the bill for a wider range of health and social care staff on 27th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I am glad to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Fox of Buckley, because I added my signature to Amendment 673 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Fraser, as did the noble Lords, Lord Carlile and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath.

Bishop of Leicester asks about English language education

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 27th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 3 March (HL14602), what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the funding for English for speakers of other language programmes to meet demand.

Votes: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

On 26th March 2026, the House of Lords debated the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Bishop of Newcastle raises issue of equal access to care during debate on access to healthcare for those with learning disabilities

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on access to health and social care for those with learning disabilities on 26th March 2026, highlighting the need for equality of access to care:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, for bringing forward this Question for Short Debate. I acknowledge his very personal connection to this topic and echo the words of the noble Baroness, Lady Ramsey of Wall Heath, in paying tribute to his powerful opening speech. I also express gratitude to the organisations that have written to me; I am particularly grateful for the extremely helpful briefing document from Mencap.

The topic of our debate has been on my mind since I sat on the Select Committee in your Lordships’ House as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill process. Persistent health inequalities for young people—well, for people generally—living with a learning disability and those with Down syndrome were raised on behalf of the National Down Syndrome Policy Group by Ken Ross, who gave evidence to the Select Committee describing

“a systemic direct and indirect bias shown within the health service, which could also be linked to a lack of understanding of the needs, wishes, health, learning and communication profiles of this particular group”.

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments on the topic of community rights during a debate on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on 26th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I think I have been cued in. I will speak to my Amendment 318A as—yes, still—the Bishop of Manchester. There is a vacancy in London, but I think I am too old to be considered.

Over the last 18 months, I have been chairing the Manchester Social Housing Commission. Central to our work has been the contributions that local residents and communities representing their neighbourhoods make to our thinking and, eventually, our recommendations. We have seen how empowered communities make a real difference. They are the people who know what it is like to live where they do. They can shape local services for the best results.

Far from being a problem for authorities to manage, communities continually demonstrate how they respond to the cost of living crisis or the epidemic of loneliness. People in communities are vital in driving their own solutions. As I go around my diocese, I see again and again how local people taking the initiative really make a difference.

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