Bills – Page 55 – The Church of England in Parliament

Status of Workers Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports greater protection for workers

On 10th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Status of Workers Bill in its second reading. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of the bill, which would seek to introduce greater protection for workers classified as “contractors” in the gig economy:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hendy, on tabling this Private Member’s Bill. It echoes the Judaeo-Christian teaching that workers deserve proper remuneration, and I support it.

I recognise that there are many advantages in having a flexible labour market which allows for individuals to tailor their work to their lifestyles. However, I and I know many others take issue with those times when employers curtail other people’s rights in an exploitative manor to reduce benefits costs. The Taylor review’s suggestion of replacing the category of working with a more positively defined “dependent contractor” was a positive step in preventing companies from unscrupulously categorising an employee as a worker while elevating the bogus self-employed into this category along with the increased rights it affords and the national insurance contributions that would accompany it.

Environment Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports amendments centering environmental impact

On 8th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the second day of the report stage. The Bishop of Oxford spoke in support of two amendments intended to ensure that future decision making in this area would have regard to environmental principles first and foremost, and a further amendment ensuring the independence of the Office for Environmental Protection:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I shall speak in favour of Amendments 19 and 20, and passionately so.

Many members of your Lordships’ House have spoken of the urgency of the crisis before us; just yesterday, the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch issued a powerful joint statement. They appealed to those with “far-reaching responsibilities”—including ourselves—to

“make short-term sacrifices to safeguard all our futures; become leaders in the transition to just and sustainable economies.”

There can be no exceptions.

Votes: Environment Bill

On 8th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Armed Forces Bill: Bishop of St Albans highlights mental health issues affecting members of the armed forces

On 7th September 2021, the Armed Forces Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords. The Bishop of St Albans welcomed the bill, and spoke on the importance of recognising the high levels of mental health issues faced by members of the armed forces:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too want to pay tribute to our Armed Forces. In repaying their service, it is right, as the Armed Forces covenant states, that

“those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens”.

I welcome the provisions in the Bill enabling greater legal enforcement of the covenant in achieving this parity.

Environment Bill: Archbishop of York

On 6th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the first day of the report stage. The Archbishop of York spoke in the debate, supporting an amendment which would require the government to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, in the Book of Common Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer says:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

in earth as in heaven.”

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in favour of amendment to standardise funding for students with specific learning difficulties and disabilities

The Bishop of Durham spoke in favour of an amendment to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which would aim to remove discrepancies in funding offered to people with specific learning difficulties and disabilities in further education:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, as the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Leeds observed at Second Reading, colleges play a vital role in providing for students with specific learning difficulties and disabilities—the term widely used in further education as being broader than the “special educational needs” used elsewhere. This amendment seeks to address the discrepancy between the range and funding available to younger students with specific learning difficulties or disabilities, principally those in school settings or specialist institutions, and those applicable to students in FE. It seeks also to harmonise best practice across the FE and HE sectors, as the noble Lord, Lord Addington, outlined a few moments ago. It connects with the earlier Amendments 41 and 43 to 46, especially the requirement to review how well the education and training provided by an institution meet the needs of those with special educational needs in its area, and with Amendment 99, which places a specific duty on the Secretary of State to this end.

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham tables amendment to specify long term funding plans for further education

On 21st July 2021, the Bishop of Durham tabled a probing amendment to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which would require the government to set out a long term funding plan for further education:

The Lord Bishop of Durham:

90B: After Clause 25, insert the following new Clause—

“Long-term funding review

(1) The Secretary of State must commission a panel of experts to review of the long-term funding for skills and post-16 education.(2) The panel must consider and make recommendations about—(a) resources available for different types of technical training, further education and higher education; (b) support for disadvantaged students and those with special education needs;(c) the impact of this Act on the long-term funding for skills and post-16 education.(3) The panel must conclude their review and make a report to the Secretary of State with their findings and recommendations.(4) Within the period of one year beginning with the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must lay the panel’s report before Parliament.”Member’s explanatory statement

This is a probing amendment, intended to draw out the Government’s plans to introduce a longer-term funding settlement for FE, as called for by the Education Select Committee, prefigured in the White Paper and signalled, as the direction of travel by recent increases in core FE funding, capital funding allocations and the longer term Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham tables amendment removing restriction on claiming universal credit for those in education

On 21st July 2021, the House of Lords debated the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill in the fourth day of the committee stage. The Bishop of Durham tabled a probing amendment to the bill which would remove restrictions on claiming universal credit from those receiving education:

The Lord Bishop of Durham:

90A: After Clause 25, insert the following new Clause—

“Universal credit conditions: receiving education

(1) In section 4 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012—(a) in subsection (1) omit paragraph (d), and(b) omit subsection (6).(2) The Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument make consequential provision.(3) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.”Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would remove the restriction that those “receiving education” cannot claim Universal Credit, which at present may impede some of the most disadvantaged from benefitting from learning opportunities. It is intended to probe how the Government plans to incentivise take-up of training programmes, and to elicit how cross-departmental working can be made more effective in transforming learning and skills.

Votes: Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill

On 20th July 2021, the House of Lords debated the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill in the first day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Organ Tourism and Cadavers on Display Bill: Bishop of St Albans welcomes bill, highlights repression of the Uighur minority in China

On 16th July 2021, the House of Lords debated the Organ Tourism and Cadavers on Display Bill [HL] in its second reading. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of the bill, bringing up the persecution of the Uighur minority in China:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too support this Bill and welcome the very excellent speech by the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, and this important priority to equalise the law so that, whether a body or an organ comes from someone in this country or some other part of this world, they will be given the same protections and treated with the same dignity.

Noble Lords have already spelled out with great and horrifying clarity some of the allegations of organ harvesting by the Chinese authorities targeting minorities. I have risen to speak today because I have been raising again and again in this House the issue of the Uighurs, and this absolutely touches on what is happening to this incredibly persecuted group of people. It is terrifying to see what is unfolding before our very eyes. In June 2021, a group of independent UN experts said that they had received information that detainees from ethnic and religious groups such as the Uighurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong and Chinese Christians were being subjected to examination without their consent, with the express intention to facilitate organ allocation.

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