Author: parliamentaryunit

Bishop of Manchester speaks in debate on new shipping regulations

On 29th June 2026, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on the Climate Change Act 2008 (International Aviation and International Shipping) Regulations 2026, commending the regulations and their environmental impact:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Deben, on matters of climate change. The way he spoke with such passion and wisdom is an example of this House at its best.

Climate change presents the greatest collective action problem of our age. Every nation would prefer others to act first, which is why strong climate leadership matters. I found myself challenging the Government for not doing enough earlier this afternoon in Committee of the Financial Services and Markets Bill, so I want to commend these regulations tonight.

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Financial Services and Markets Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on regulation

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Financial Services and Markets Bill focused on strengthening adherence to regulatory principles on 29th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I, too, support all the amendments in this group, but I will limit my remarks to Amendment 80, to which I have added my name. I note that I appear to be the only man to have signed any of the amendments in this group. I hope that does not mean that climate concern is now becoming divided on gender lines; climate risks are not sex specific. Perhaps I might encourage some other men to rise and support amendments in this group.

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Archbishop of York asks about role of faith in society and media

The Archbishop of York asked a question on the role of faith in society and public service media in response to a government statement on the Media Green Paper on 29th June 2026:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, none of us underestimates how hard it will be to preserve and protect the place of what we must now call public service media in this new world, but I would contend that it is impossible to understand our world at the moment if we do not understand the place of faith in the affairs of the world. It is impossible to understand our own nation’s culture, literature and law without understanding the place of faith; I do not think we can understand ourselves without it. But I notice that, in the Green Paper, there is little or perhaps no mention of the place of faith, which has always been such an important part of the public service broadcasting economy. I wonder whether the Minister would like to mention—I know how difficult it is—what steps are being taken to make sure this is preserved.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about training for asylum adjudicators

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on training on religious literacy for adjudicators of asylum claims on 29th June 2026 during a discussion on the possibility of replacing immigration judges with adjudicators:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, picking up on the point about training, can the Minister tell us what support will be available and what training will be offered to the adjudicators around religious literacy? Decisions regarding people’s cases often hinge on claims of religious persecution and involve people who have deeply traumatic pasts. They must, therefore, be well-informed and accurate.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about protection of Christian communities in Israel and Palestine

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 19th June 2026:

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

  • what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Israel and Palestine.
  • what assessment they have made of the report from the Rossing Centre for Education and Dialogue, Attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem, published in 2025; and what discussions they have had with government of Israel about protecting Christian communities in Israel and East Jerusalem from harassment and violence.
  • what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding actions on 15 June on land and property in Silwan owned by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
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Bishop of Leicester emphasises importance of trust in communities during debate on threats to democratic institutions

The Bishop of Leicester spoke in a debate on threats to democratic institutions in the UK on 25th June 2026, stressing the importance of local communities and pluralism in combatting extremist rhetoric:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I too am hugely grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, for securing this debate, and it is a pleasure to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Falkner. Our belief systems may differ, but we share much in common still.

I speak as chair of a new Church of England working group on promoting unity in our nation, a role that has made me think hard about the three threats before us today and what they mean for our common life, indeed for the Church and for other faith groups. I believe that the three threats that the noble Lord has highlighted—our susceptibility to disinformation, foreign interference and falling trust in our democratic institutions—share a primary underlying cause: the slow loss of the institutions in which people once learned to trust one another and act together.

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Bishop of Leicester speaks in debate on Places of Worship Renewal Fund

The Bishop of Leicester spoke in a debate on the Places of Worship Renewal Fund on 25th June 2026, highlighting several shortcomings in the new fund and urging the government to look at long term planning for support of this kind of funding:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I am extremely grateful to the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Prentis, for securing this debate and, indeed, for her wider service to the Church. I congratulate her daughter and son-in-law as well. I thank the many thousands of people across our country who play a part in caring for our wonderful churches and churchyards.

My fellow Lords spiritual regret that they are not able to join this debate; many are with their candidates for ordination services taking place this weekend. I know, however, that they share my support for the places of worship renewal fund and the recognition from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that places of worship are

“part of who we are as a nation”.

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Bishop of Manchester calls for scientific trials to take precedence over culture wars over puberty blockers

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the importance of scientific trials to produce evidence-based results on the use of puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria on 25th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: Would the Minister agree that the scientific trials are the best way to try to remove this from the culture wars that are so damning this particular topic?

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House of Lords: Clergy Conduct Measure

On 24th June, the Bishop of Manchester moved a motion to direct that the Clergy Conduct Measure be presented to His Majesty the King for Royal Assent. The motion passed:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Clergy Conduct Measure be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab, Chief Whip): My Lords, I have it in command from His Majesty the King to acquaint the House that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Clergy Conduct Measure, has consented to place his interest, as far as affected by the Measure, at the disposal of Parliament for the purpose of the Measure.

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, the Clergy Conduct Measure is a vital part of the Church of England’s ongoing reform of clergy discipline and safeguarding. During the passage of this Measure through the General Synod, the Church has acknowledged that the current clergy discipline system does not always serve complainants well. Too often, they have found the process opaque and painfully slow. Equally, it has not served clergy well, leaving many in a state of prolonged anxiety and limbo, worried they will lose house and job.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about reoffending rates

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 24th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government how many prisoners in England and Wales received “two strike” sentences between 21 March 1997 and 4 April 2005; and how many of that number have (1) never been released, or (2) been recalled to prison following release.

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