Bills – Page 13 – The Church of England in Parliament

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.

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford speaks in support

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in support of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill on 13th December 2024, raising the negative impact of limited adjustment periods and the need for grace in the asylum system:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, like many others, it is a pleasure for me to speak in support of this Bill. I too pay tribute to the Private Member’s Bill in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, as well as to other campaigners who have continued to call for a longer move-on period for those newly granted refugee status.

I sincerely welcome the Government’s decision to introduce this pilot, extending the move on-period to 56 days. It is among the recommendations of the recent Commission on the Integration of Refugees, of which I was pleased to be a commissioner; I should also state my interest as a principal of RAMP. It seems only a short while ago that we were responding to the reduction of the period to seven days, soon after which refugee homelessness figures reached an unprecedented peak, accounting for 51% of rough sleepers—a near 1,000% increase between the July of that year and last autumn.

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of London supports bill

The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill on 13th December, supporting the bill and the need to make administration clearer in the asylum system:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I am glad to add my voice on the Second Reading of this Bill, and I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for bringing it forward.

As the Bishop of London, I see many churches which have stepped in to provide support to newly recognised refugees when the process of support just does not work as it should. Last year, I led a letter signed by 44 other faith and belief leaders in London to raise awareness of the high rates of homelessness for the newly recognised refugees. Many other faith groups and churches found themselves supporting newly recognised refugees who were street homeless. As part of the letter, we called for the Government to extend the support to 56 days. Following the letter, I had a very productive meeting with the noble Lord, Lord Sharpe of Epsom, when he was in his ministerial post, along with officials, and I pay tribute to him for his willingness to listen and, in fact, his willingness to respond.

Hereditary Peers Bill: Bishop of Leeds points out constitutional implications of Lords Reform

The Bishop of Leeds spoke in the second reading debate on the Hereditary Peers Bill on 11th December 2024, pointing out the nuances of the role of the Lords Spiritual in the HoL, and the constitutional implications of House of Lords reform:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I rise to speak in the gap because there was a clerical error. My name should have been on the list and was not, so the remarks about Bishops being strangely mute are perhaps unmerited. I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brady, on his maiden speech. All I can say to the noble Baroness, Lady Quin, is that the end is now more nigh than when this debate began, but I wish her well in the future. We heard Jesus quoted earlier:

“Greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends”.

Your Lordships will remember that Jeremy Thorpe famously said of Macmillan, after the night of the long knives:

“Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his life”.

That might provide another lens through which to see this debate.

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