Bills – Page 13 – The Church of England in Parliament

Mortgage Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports legislation

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.

Renters Rights Bill: Bishop of Lincoln welcomes legislation and urges extension of decent homes standard

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.

National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill: Bishop of Southwark tables amendment

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.

Mental Health Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on culturally appropriate care

On 22nd January 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Mental Health Bill aiming to ensure culturally appropriate care in the mental health sector:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group. I also want to communicate the support of my right reverend friend the Bishop of London, who apologises that she cannot be in her place this evening.

Turning to the amendments led by the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, on culturally appropriate care, I appreciated the noble Baroness’s references to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. I have worked with that community much over many years and very much enjoyed my interactions with it.

These amendments highlight issues that my right reverend friend has spent a lot of time considering, particularly from a faith perspective. I do not think we have heard that in the debate so far tonight. It is sometimes hard to grasp just how differently our health, especially our mental health, is culturally understood across different communities and faith groups. While our ability to discuss our own and others’ mental health may be generally improving—I think it is—it remains an extremely difficult discussion point for many cultures and many communities.

Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill: Bishop of Derby stresses need to listen to care leavers concerns

The Bishop of Derby spoke in support of the Bishop of Manchester’s private member’s bill on 17th January 2025, stressing the need to listen to care leavers and to take their concerns seriously:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I congratulate my right reverend friend the Bishop of Manchester on bringing this Private Member’s Bill. I declare my interest as chair of the Children’s Society—a charity rooted in the Church of England and a key partner in the Church’s work to support care-experienced children and young people. I therefore welcome this Bill for the difference that it would make to care leavers.

As mentioned, last week we were privileged to hear directly from care leavers. I pay tribute to their resilience and I know that they are listening closely today. Their testimony reinforces my support for the Bill.

Three recurring themes emerge from our conversation: vulnerability, inconsistency and disempowerment. First, too many young people are made profoundly vulnerable as they leave care without a sufficient safety net around them. A recent survey by the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum found that 82% of care leavers struggled to afford food some or all the time.

Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill: Bishop of Manchester introduces private member’s bill

The Bishop of Manchester’s private members bill, the Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill, had its second reading on 17th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, care leavers under the age of 25 who are claiming universal credit receive the same rate as their peers, who are far more likely to be able to access support from their parents. That means that young people under 25 receive £81.77 less in universal credit per month compared to those over 25—a 21% reduction. This Bill would complement proposals by providing increased financial support for care leavers currently living on the lowest incomes. It would mean that care leavers claiming universal credit would see their monthly payment increase to a total of £393.45. That monthly figure is not dissimilar to the daily allowance that Members of your Lordships’ House can claim; it is not a huge sum to live on.

I thank those who have made time to participate in this debate on a Friday—not least the Minister and shadow Minister, with whom we had constructive conversations in advance—and the group of care-experienced young people, facilitated by the charity Become, who were very generous with their time and shared some extremely perceptive insights with me and my right reverend friend the Bishop of Derby about the differences that this policy change would make to their lives. They have agreed that we can name them in our speeches today.

There are over 92,000 care leavers in England under the age of 25. This cohort of young adults is in particular need of further support, including through the social security system. This Bill would equalise the standard allowance for universal credit for care leavers under the age of 25, but that is just one of a number of steps that could be made to ensure that young care leavers receive the support they need to flourish. I hope that, in this debate, there will be an opportunity for noble Lords to explore those, and perhaps other, steps and for us to commit ourselves to supporting young adults leaving care.

Regulated and Other Activities (Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse) Bill: Bishop of London supports legislation

The Bishop of London spoke in support of the Regulated and Other Activities (Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse) Bill at its second reading on 17th January 2025, acknowledging the Church of England’s own background in safeguarding failures and the need for institutions to work towards a survivor centred approach:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I support this significant Bill tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, who has articulated very clearly why it is important. First, I want to recognise, on behalf of the Church of England, our own shocking failures in safeguarding and take this opportunity to apologise to victims and survivors of Church abuse. I fully support the introduction of mandatory reporting of child sex abuse and of other abuse, in all contexts. I note the Government’s commitment to doing so in their upcoming police and crime Bill. Today’s debate gives us another opportunity for this important discussion. I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Grey-Thompson, for bringing the Bill forward, and to Members of your Lordships’ House for their contributions, which I know at times will not be easy.

Votes: National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill

On 8th January 2025, the House of Lords debated the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill at its second reading. Votes were held on a motion to commit the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester raises need for training and resources for faith and voluntary groups

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on the second reading of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill on 7th January 2025, referencing his experiences leading the diocese in the aftermath of the Manchester arena bombing in 2017 and the need for access to training and resources for faith and voluntary sector groups to comply with the requirements of the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as a bishop whose diocese includes around 300 places of worship, most of which will find that this Bill directly applies to them, I have, along with my right reverend friends on these Benches, a very obvious interest to declare. But as the Bishop of Manchester, I have a more specific reason for wanting to see this Bill reach the statute book. Martyn Hett, whose name is immortalised in the informal title by which we know this Bill, was killed some three minutes’ walk from my cathedral. We are all grateful for the persistence of his mother, Figen, over these last seven years, and for achieving the degree of cross-party consensus that has brought us to this point today.

Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill: Bishop of Leeds supports bill

The Bishop spoke at the second reading of the Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill on 13th December 2024, emphasising the need for legislation on this issue:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, on bringing forward this Bill, which seems to me to be very clear. It was good to witness her evident surprise at having to explain it to a bishop, but she need not have worried on that front.

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