Legislation before Parliament
On 25th February 2025, the House of Lords debated the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a bishop took part:
The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the impact of new oil projects on net zero targets, and a question on the viability of carbon capture and storage, on 12th February 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: Perhaps I might make it a bit wider, to avoid putting the Minister in a difficult situation. We have heard that there are a number of projects that have previously been approved to a certain stage and—at the risk of a pun—are in the pipeline. Have the Government made any estimate of the impact that schemes in this sort of pipeline will have on the UK being able to meet its net-zero targets?
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about net zero targets and biomass capture”
On 12th February 2025, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill. The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Lord Murray of Blidworth aiming to provide further support for community and voluntary organisations under the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support the amendments of the noble Lord, Lord Murray of Blidworth, in this group. As the Bishop of Manchester, I have got something like 400 churches and church halls in my diocese, but these amendments go rather wider than that. For places of worship, there are already some grant schemes for protecting against terrorism, given the particular threat that places of worship, especially Muslim and Jewish places of worship, have traditionally faced.
Continue reading “Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester speaks in support of amendments on community and voluntary groups”
The Bishop of Norwich spoke in support of a government amendment to the Great British Energy Bill which would stipulate that Great British Energy had scope for involvement in community energy projects on 11th February 2025, welcoming the amendment and highlighting the role churches might play in these projects:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I support the Government’s Amendment 8. It is good that the Government have introduced this amendment so that Great British Energy can facilitate, encourage and participate in local community energy projects. I pay tribute to the noble Earl, Lord Russell, for the work he has done on this, as well as a number of different campaigning organisations and other Members of your Lordships’ House. This is a very important amendment, and it will be a great help to a whole range of different community organisations.
Continue reading “Great British Energy Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on community energy projects”On 11th February, the House of Lords debated the Great British Energy Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
On 10th February 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill on provision of training for voluntary organisations to assist in their compliance with the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I will speak in favour of the amendments in this group, particularly that in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester. I have an interest to declare, in that I have 250 or 300 church buildings in my diocese that will come under the terms of the Bill when it is enacted.
Continue reading “Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on training for volunteers”
The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at the second reading of the Education (Assemblies) Bill on 7th February 2025, affirming the benefits of collective worship while expressing reservations on the efficacy of the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I warmly welcome this debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Burt, for her introduction, as well as the other noble Lords who have spoken. I look forward to the Minister’s response.
Although I understand the intention of the Bill, it may not surprise your Lordships to hear that I will express some reservations about the proposals and say that I believe the current legislation already affords sufficient flexibility. I suspect that I may well be a lone voice in the Chamber today. I was interested to hear the noble Baroness quote my esteemed friend, the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, formerly the Bishop of Oxford. Perhaps it is good to know that there are differences of opinion among Bishops in this House.
Collective worship is a vital part of school life. It is key to fostering a sense of fellowship and cohesion; to celebrating festivals, and not just Christian ones; and to strengthening religious literacy. Importantly, the current legislation already allows schools to tailor their provision to suit their pupils’ spiritual needs, and allows schools and academies to develop their ethos and values.
Continue reading “Education (Assemblies) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford raises concerns on efficacy”The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at the second reading of the Mortgage Prisoners Bill on 7th February 2025, supporting the bill and the introduction of a public inquiry into the circumstances of mortgage prisoners:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I want to begin with a confession: I did not know much about the scandal of mortgage prisoners until just a few weeks ago. It surprised me how long this has been left unresolved. I felt compelled to speak to the plight of mortgage prisoners because, when a group of people are marginalised and suffer due to institutional failures, it is important that they are not forgotten and that the injustice is put right. So I thank the noble Lord, Lord Sharkey, for bringing this legislation forward, and I am grateful to everyone who is contributing today. We may well be a small group in this debate but it is no less significant because of that.
Mortgage prisoners are trapped in a set of circumstances that afflicts their lives. Excessive interest payments on their mortgage, financial stress for their families, powerlessness to change their circumstances and their lack of choice compared to most borrowers—all in the context of the cost of living crisis—leave many struggling to afford their homes. This is also a crisis not of their own making. It is reasonable to believe that home ownership would lead to further stability, yet many mortgage prisoners face a perilous fate, with their hopes shattered and lives turned upside down.
Continue reading “Mortgage Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports legislation”
The Bishop of Lincoln spoke at the second reading of the Renters Rights Bill on 4th February 2025, welcoming the bill and urging the government to consider the extension of the decent homes standard to accommodation for in temporary and asylum accommodation:
The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I welcome this Bill and the commitment that the Government have made to tackling the pervasive insecurity and unaffordability of the private rented sector. I will be delighted to listen to the maiden speeches of the noble Lord, Lord Wilson, and the noble Baroness, Lady Brown.
Last week, my right reverend friend the Bishop of Chelmsford, the lead Bishop on housing, chaired a round table with a number of noble Lords and members of the Renters’ Reform Coalition. Although she is unable to be here today, I know that she is looking forward to contributing to the Bill as it progresses.
The Bill is an opportunity to strike a fairer, long-term deal that will benefit both landlords and tenants. We must heed the voices not only of tenants themselves but of landlords’ groups, which have expressed legitimate concerns about any potential negative consequences, however unintended, of the changes introduced by the Bill.
Continue reading “Renters Rights Bill: Bishop of Lincoln welcomes legislation and urges extension of decent homes standard”
On 29th January 2025, the House of Lords debated the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill in Grand Committee. Bishop of Southwark spoke to his amendment to the bill concerning the effects on transport provision for SEND children and their families:
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 67, which stands in my name. It is supported by the noble Lords, Lord Alton and Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, whose names were not entered in time for the Marshalled List.
I agree with much of what the noble Baroness, Lady Monckton of Dallington Forest, said in support of Amendments 14 and 27, in her name, and others concerning the provision of transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities—many years ago, my identical twin brother was one of them. My amendment has the same intention, albeit a slightly different effect.
Continue reading “National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill: Bishop of Southwark tables amendment”
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