Bills – Page 58 – The Church of England in Parliament

Financial Services Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports amendments on transparency and statutory governance

On 19th April 2021, during a debate on the Financial Services Bill, the Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of two amendments tabled by Lord Sikka, outlining the need for greater transparency around ministerial interventions in cases of financial misconduct, and supporting the establishment of a supervisory board to strengthen the accountability of financial watchdogs:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, I will be brief in my support for this amendment. I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Sikka, and the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett of Manor Castle, for speaking at great length. I therefore do not need to add a huge amount more, not least as I intend to go into a bit more detail on my concerns about transparency when speaking in support of Amendment 34, which touches on similar issues of accountability.

I am a little puzzled why the noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe, thinks that this is a case of bad cases making bad laws. It seems to me that there have been very considerable concerns in the past. Surely those ought to be investigated.

Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester welcomes legislation and wider work in rehabilitative justice

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the second reading of the Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill on 16th April 2021, welcoming the bill and stressing the need for rehabilitation to be at the centre of the prison system:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I add my condolences to those already expressed regarding the sad death of Dame Cheryl Gillan. I echo others in affirming that it is her commitment to reform that means that we are discussing these issues today.

I declare my interest, as stated in the register, as Anglican bishop for prisons in England and Wales. It is a great privilege for me to visit a variety of establishments. In conversations with prisoners, governors and chaplains, you get a sense of those issues that, if tackled, could have a real impact. Drug use within prisons is one of those issues.

Votes: National Security and Investment Bill

On 15th April 2021, the House of Lords debated the National Security and Investment Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Financial Services Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports amendments to establish standards for debt collectors and to regulate online gambling

On 14th April 2021, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Financial Services Bill. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of an amendment seeking to introduce a regulatory body for debt collectors, and moved his own amendment which would establish greater autonomy for users on blocking online gambling purchases:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 16 and then address my own Amendment 27. The introduction of a regulatory body to oversee the rules governing the behaviour of bailiffs would greatly strengthen complaints handling for the victims of practices that fall outside the national guidelines. The FCA reported in its Financial Lives 2020 Survey that 3.8 million people in the UK are currently experiencing “financial difficulty”. It is a terrible situation that takes a significant toll on people’s health and relationships. This amendment seeks to address an important concern: the fair treatment of people by enforcement agents who collect debts, often from vulnerable people who are in grave financial distress.

The absence of an independent regulator means that, when breaches of national standards occur, any complaints will be dealt with through the company or a trade association, before possibly being passed on to an ombudsman. This is an arduous process that prevents complaints from being adequately actioned. Furthermore, these national standards are not legally binding, which obscures the extent to which an individual can seek redress. No industry is exempt from poor practice. While most enforcement agents will probably abide by national standards, nevertheless we need to make sure that they are properly regulated.

Votes: Financial Services Bill

On 14th April 2021, the House of Lords debated the Financial Services Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Votes: Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill

On 13th April 2021, the House of Lords debated the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Votes: Financial Services Bill

On 24th March 2021, the House of Lords debated the Financial Services Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Durham spoke at the second reading of the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Bill on 19th March 2021, supporting the bill and emphasising the need to ensure affordable and ethically made school uniforms be made accessible to all:

The Lord Bishop of Durham [V]: My Lords, I speak in my capacity as chair of the National Society, and thus lead bishop in the Church of England for education. In principle, uniform is a fantastic leveller: it can foster unity and provides an opportunity for students to worry less about the challenges of fitting in. It is therefore worrying to find that the cost of uniforms is instead causing division by highlighting disparities. Having poverty- aware uniform policies means that we can avoid worsening the disadvantages that a child in poverty is already faced with. We must return uniforms to being beneficial, which the Bill will do. The Bill has my support, as it would ensure that all families can afford uniforms.

Votes: Domestic Abuse Bill

On 17th March 2021, the House of Lords debated the Domestic Abuse Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.

Fire Safety Bill: Bishop of St Albans tables motion to amend bill and provide financial protection for leaseholders

On 17ht March 2021, the Bishop of St Albans moved a motion to amend to the Fire Safety Bill which would protect leaseholders from costs incurred in replacing flammable cladding:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I speak to Motion C1 and Amendments 4B to 4E. I give notice of my intention to seek the opinion of the House when the time comes. I declare my interest in the register in that I, too, am a vice-president of the Local Government Association.

I first thank the honourable Members for Stevenage and for Southampton, Itchen, who originally prepared these amendments, as well as the signatories from all parties when they were tabled in the Commons. I also thank the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, who joins me in supporting it, and pay tribute to one of our colleagues, the Bishop of Kensington, who has worked very closely on the ground with victims of Grenfell and leaseholders.

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