Bills – The Church of England in Parliament

Armed Forces Bill: Bishop of Norwich moves amendments on military offences and supports increases to accommodation standards

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in support of amendments on wellbeing and accommodation standards for members of the military during a debate on the Armed Forces Bill on 2nd September 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I rise to support Amendments 17 and 18 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Newnham, and I am very grateful to her for spending time over the weekend explaining them in more detail. The noble Baroness is quite right in what she has just said to this House about the need to care for those who are in single accommodation, recognising that that accommodation can be used throughout a whole service career.

Public Office (Accountability) Bill: Bishop of Manchester raises importance of justice and accountability

The Bishop of Manchester spoke at the second reading of the Public Office (Accountability) Bill on 1st September 2026, emphasising the importance of justice and accountability for bereaved families following events such as the Hillsborough Disaster and Manchester Arena Attack:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as co-chair of the ethics committee of the National Police Chiefs’ Council. I heartily welcome the Bill. I have spoken in this House on previous occasions regarding the need for a wide duty of candour. I am delighted that we are now making substantial progress.

The role of public officials is and always must be one of stewardship, not dominance. To remain effective, this relationship demands the ongoing consent of the people, and that is possible only through honesty, transparency and the means for communities to get to the truth when things go wrong. This necessitates a higher standard of conduct for authorities which wield greater powers and capabilities. It requires resources to level the playing field when victims seek justice. This relationship is a fragile one, but it must be carefully maintained if public authorities are to retain the respect and trust of the people they serve. The introduction of a statutory duty of candour and transparency will be an important step towards strengthening this relationship and empowering the people to hold officials accountable when that trust is broken.

As a young priest and industrial chaplain in Rotherham, I was deployed to the Hillsborough stadium when the clergy who had been present at the match were stood down. The sight of the thick, metal crush barriers at the Leppings Lane end, twisted out of shape by the sheer weight of human flesh and bone pressing down on them, still haunts me almost four decades on.

Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill: Bishop of Newcastle speaks on importance of ethics in police work

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke at the second reading of the Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill on 17th July 2026, emphasising the importance of trust and ethics in police work:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, for bringing this Bill before your Lordships’ House. It is an honour to follow the noble and learned Lord, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, in this debate. I acknowledge the contributions from your Lordships who have drawn on their expertise and experience, which is far beyond my own.

Before turning to the substance of the Bill, which I support, I wish to acknowledge the extraordinary service that our police officers give to this country. In doing so, I pay tribute to PC Jess Turnbull of Northumbria Police, who tragically died in the line of duty at just 19 years of age. Her funeral was held in Newcastle Cathedral last Friday. We continue to hold her family, friends and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers, giving thanks for her life and her willingness to serve others at such a young age. Her death reminds us that policing is a vocation of public service, often carried out at great personal cost. It is in that spirit that I approach the Bill.

Genocide Determination Bill: Bishop of Newcastle speaks in support of legislation

On 17th July 2026, the Bishop of Newcastle spoke at the second reading of the Genocide Determination Bill, expressing her support for the bill and the principle of the equal worth of human lives:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, for introducing this Bill, which I support, and for his unwavering commitment over many years to the prevention of genocide, the protection of persecuted communities and the advancement of human rights.

At the heart of the Bill lies a simple yet profound principle that every human life possesses equal and inherent worth. There is a clear inconsistency in our present arrangements. Successive Governments have rightly maintained that genocide is a matter for a competent court. However, in practice, the international courts capable of making such determinations are not always able to do so because of jurisdictional limitations or political deadlock. The result is that credible allegations of the gravest crime recognised in international law may never receive judicial determination. The noble Lord, Lord Wills, made this point compellingly in his speech.

Votes: Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill

On 8th July 2026, the House of Lords debated the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Armed Forces Bill: Bishop of Norwich speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Norwich spoke at the second reading of the Armed Forces Bill on 6th July 2026, detailing the importance of the armed forces covenant to supporting communities and the military:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: I thank the Minister and his officials for their work on this Bill. It is a privilege to follow the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Craig, and I look forward to hearing further contributions from noble and gallant Lords with their wealth of experience. When I read in Hansard the record of the Second Reading debate on this Bill’s predecessor five years ago, I could not help but notice that the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, will simply be swapping places when they come to sum up this debate. In my remarks, I will focus on three areas: first, the Armed Forces covenant; secondly, the whole-society approach to civil preparedness; and thirdly, some niche comments related to the service police powers.

“Covenant” is an ancient word with deep resonances in Judaism, Islam and Christianity. It is about gifts offered and received, about commitments made and honoured, lived in mutual reciprocity. When we ask much of our Armed Forces—and, God forbid, we might need to ask more of them and their families in the years to come—pledging a commitment to what they can expect in return for all that they give and, for veterans, have given, is the mark of a grateful society.

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.

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.

House of Commons: Clergy Conduct Measure

On 23rd June 2026, the Clergy Conduct Measure was debated by the Delegated Legislation Committee in the House of Commons and passed through the House:

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea) [Second Church Estates Commissioner]: I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the Clergy Conduct Measure (HC 221).

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairwomanship, Ms Lewell. I know that for many colleagues across the House the prospect of being on a Delegated Legislation Committee considering Church of England legislation is not the true highlight of their parliamentary week—and in this weather; I am so sorry. However, while our setting today might be routine, the legislation before us is anything but. The Measure is a cornerstone of the Church of England’s ongoing vital reform of clergy discipline and safeguarding.

Financial Services and Markets Bill: Bishop of Manchester speaks in committee

The Bishop of Manchester spoke at the first committee debate for the Financial Services and Markets Bill on 22nd June 2022, stressing the importance of face-to-face banking and financial services:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, it is a great honour to follow the noble Baroness., Lady Tyler. As I listened to her speech, I was crossing off most of the things that I was going to say, because she said them much more eloquently than I could have, and I am thankful for that. We need to be able to provide everybody with the best possible services, locally available. As the noble Baroness said, when people are at their most vulnerable, at the most crucial moments of their lives and taking the big decisions, being face to face makes all the difference.

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