Author: parliamentaryunit

Bishop of Chester calls for strengthened regulations to combat addiction to online pornography

On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Baroness Howe’s Online Safety Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill and called for further measures to help adults who are addicted to online pornography.

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I follow two Members of the House with very distinguished medical careers who speak with great authority, which I cannot match. However, I want to approach 14.03 Bishop of Chesterthe subject in a slightly different way.

I join noble Lords in congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Howe, on introducing her new and improved Bill. Though the Bill has been drafted very properly with children in mind, I want to refer to its potential relevance for adults who are struggling with pornography. I am grateful to the charity Naked Truth, which seeks to support adults caught in the net of pornography addiction, for briefing me for the debate. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester calls for strengthened regulations to combat addiction to online pornography”

Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill to protect children from harmful content online

On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Revd Christopher Foster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Baroness Howe’s Online Safety Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill and its provisions to protect children and young people from being exposed to adult content online.

14.04.09 Portsmouth maiden speech 2The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, the provisions of this Bill are an important, indeed essential, part of a robust strategy to protect young people and children from the dangers of exposure to inappropriate material. I welcome it warmly. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill to protect children from harmful content online”

Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill on making sports grounds more accessible

On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Revd Christopher Foster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Lord Faulkner of Worcester’s Accessible Sports Grounds Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill.

14.04.09 Portsmouth maiden speech 1The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, I am pleased to welcome the Bill of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, and to support it this morning. I am grateful for his and others’ determination to make good provision for disabled people at sports grounds a requirement and not just a vague aspiration. Were this not a sitting Friday and it my responsibility to lead the Prayers of this House, I would instead this morning be at Lord’s for the second day of the Ashes Test. My ticket—obtained long before today was fixed as a sitting Friday—is being put, I trust, to good use. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill on making sports grounds more accessible”

Bishop of Leicester makes final speech in the Lords – religious freedom

On 16th July 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion by Lord Alton of Liverpool, “that this House takes note of worldwide violations of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the case for greater priority to be given by the United Kingdom and the international community to upholding freedom of religion and belief.” During the debate the Bishop of Leicester, Rt Revd Tim Stevens, gave his final speech before his retirement. A video of his speech can also be viewed here. Extracts from the speeches of other members taking part in the debate, paying tribute to the Bishop of Leicester, are also included below.

LeicesterThe Lord Bishop of Leicester (Valedictory Speech): My Lords, I want to add my thanks to that of so many others to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for bringing this matter before us, not least as it provides me with an opportunity to make a final speech to your Lordships’ House on a matter of such overwhelming importance. Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester makes final speech in the Lords – religious freedom”

Archbishop of Canterbury on freedom of religion and belief

“Where a state claims the ultimate right to oppress religious freedom, it stops the last and the strongest barrier against tyranny.” – Archbishop of Canterbury, 16/7/15

On 16th July 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion by Lord Alton of Liverpool, “that this House takes note of worldwide violations of Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the case for greater priority to be given by the United Kingdom and the international community to upholding freedom of religion and belief.” The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby, spoke in the debate. A video of his speech can also be viewed here.

ABC Lords 160715 bThe Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak in the debate and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for securing it and for all the work he has undertaken in this area over many years. I associate myself very closely with what he said in his very eloquent opening speech and also with the speeches of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, and the noble Lord, Lord McFall. I also pay tribute to the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Leicester. He will be much missed by this House and I will miss him enormously for the wise advice he has given me on numerous occasions.

We have already heard many examples of the horrific situations around the world where people are persecuted for their religion or for their absence of religion. I witnessed such persecution in its rawest form many times during my visits in 2013 and 2014 to the 37 other provinces of the Anglican communion. Almost half of these provinces are living under persecution; they fear for their lives every day.

Continue reading “Archbishop of Canterbury on freedom of religion and belief”

Bishop of St Albans leads House of Lords debate on sustainability of rural communities

On 16th July 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt revd Alan Smith, led Peers in a question for short debate “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the sustainability of rural communities, in the light of the additional costs and challenges of service provision in rural areas.” His speech opening the debate is below. The full debate can be read here.

Rural Communities

Question for Short Debate

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am very grateful to all those who are going to contribute to this debate, which is an opportunity to highlight the importance of sustainable rural communities to the life of this country and to consider the challenges that exist in providing the services needed to support those communities so that they can continue to be engaging and vibrant places to live and work. Many definitions of vibrancy can, and indeed have been, applied to rural communities. Previously, these definitions have focused on the services available in the community—for example, a shop, a post office or a school. But in the final analysis it is the people who count and who make a rural community, indeed any community, what it is. A rural community becomes sustainable when people care about its future and have an opportunity to engage in that future, shaping it themselves for the common good. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads House of Lords debate on sustainability of rural communities”

Shared British values – speech by Bishop of Derby

On 16th July 2015 the Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alistair Redfern, spoke in a debate tabled by the former Bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries of Pentregarth “to ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy towards promoting the shared values that underpin British public life.”

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I thank the noble and right reverend Lord,Bishop of Derby Lord Harries, for securing this debate. I suggest that shared values might be a dangerous focus and something of a displacement activity. Values are changing and are often vague. The Prime Minister wants to uphold freedom, toleration and the rule of law. My wife Caroline receives lots of information from Johnnie Boden about clothing and, this week, an email came with his values for being British: to be rebellious, daring and timeless. The point is that it is a shifting landscape, which can open up a lot of confusion and miscommunication. Continue reading “Shared British values – speech by Bishop of Derby”

Bishop of Bristol supports measures to protect children and young people from targeting by drug dealers

Bishop of Bristol June 2015On the 14th July 2015 the Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Mike Hill, spoke in support of an amendment he had co-sponsored with Lord Kirkwood to the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill, to strengthen as an offence the supply or offering to supply psychoactive substances on or near children’s homes and schools. The amendment was not out to a vote following assurances received from the Minister, Lord Bates.

Continue reading “Bishop of Bristol supports measures to protect children and young people from targeting by drug dealers”

Bishop of Norwich speaks in support of the BBC

“The BBC has plenty of the faults to be found in all large institutions, including government departments. It has a capacity to waste money on IT projects, but no more so than successive Governments. It can be complacent and bureaucratic, but so can the Church of England and the trade unions. What seems to irritate its opponents is its very success.” – Bishop of Norwich, 14/7/15

14.06.12 Bishop of Norwich

On 14th July 2015 the House of Lords debated the future of the BBC. The Bishop of Norwich, Rt Revd Graham James, a former member of the House of Lords Communications Committee, spoke supportively of the BBC, including its integral role in promoting British values. 

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, it seems odd that a Government so keen to promote British values in our schools appear intent on reducing the capacity of a world-renowned British institution. The BBC is increasingly referred to as though it were part of the public sector. It is not. It is an organisation financed not from the public purse but by those who use it. The fact that many of them are also taxpayers is no more relevant than the fact that those who pay their energy bills are also taxpayers. Perhaps the winter fuel allowance will now be transferred to the energy companies. The logic seems impeccable given the precedent established last week.

Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich speaks in support of the BBC”

Divisions – Psychoactive Substances Bill

On 14th July 2015, three bishops took part in divisions on the Government’s Psychoactive Substances Bill.

House of Lords Division Lobby
House of Lords Division Lobby

Continue reading “Divisions – Psychoactive Substances Bill”