Bills – Page 7 – The Church of England in Parliament

Terminally ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of Leicester supports amendment on role of children’s voices

The Bishop of Leicester spoke during a debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill) on 5th December 2025, supporting amendments regarding the bill’s impact on children and young people:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I too rise to support this amendment with some caution, noting that these are deep waters. I hope that noble Lords will forgive me for pointing out the blindingly obvious: as I look around your Lordships’ Committee, I do not see any 18 to 25 year-olds on these Benches, and the voices of children and young people are vital in such a debate.

Sentencing Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports amendments on greater independence

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke at a committee debate on the Sentencing Bill, advocating for greater independence in sentencing:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I will make a few brief comments; I am aware of time, and there is a lot to get through. I wholeheartedly agree with the remarks made by the noble Lord, Lord Marks, and I thank him for his kind comments.

When it comes to sentencing, I have believed for many years that we need more independence and not less. My own submission to David Gauke’s sentencing review focused on this, and, as has been said, followed the Justice Committee’s recommendations—I ought to underline that—in its own inquiry on public opinion and the understanding of sentencing.

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Bishop of Norwich urges action to protect marine environments

The Bishop of Norwich spoke at the second reading of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill on 2nd December 2025, supporting the legislation and urging the government to act to protect marine environments:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I plan to speak in favour of the Bill before your Lordships’ House at Second Reading, but first I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his maiden speech. My first recollection of Southampton was visiting the Royal Research Ship “Bransfield” before it departed for the Antarctic. As a 10 year-old, it was so exciting to explore that ship before it travelled to some of the harshest high seas on the planet.

The world’s oceans support biodiversity, regulate climate, store carbon, sustain global food webs, and provide critical genetic and biological resources. Protecting them is vital not only for ocean health but for the stability and well-being of the entire planet. I thus thank the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, together with the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, for bringing this Bill and for seeking its speedy but well-scrutinised passage so that the UK can have a seat at the first Conference of the Parties to the UN BBNJ.

House of Commons considers Armed Forces Chaplains and Abuse Redress Measure

On 1st December 2025, the House of Commons Delegated Legislation Committee sat to consider two Church Measures, the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure and the Abuse Redress Measure:

The Chair (David Mundell MP): I call the Second Church Estates Commissioner to move the first motion and to speak to both Measures. At the end of the debate, I will put the question on the first motion, and then ask the Commissioner to move the second motion formally.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the Armed Forces Chaplains (Licensing) Measure (HC 1454).

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on combatting child trafficking and improving safeguarding regulations

On 27th November 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which would expand the definition of exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to include children who have been recruited into residential care institutions that engage in orphanage trafficking:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I too support this amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Randall of Uxbridge. It is my privilege, as I travel around the world visiting Anglican provinces, often to visit orphanages and see some of the work they do. As noble Lords have already said, many of these children still have a living parent somewhere, but that parent, for whatever reason, no longer feels able or wishes to look after them, particularly if the mother has died in childbirth.

Sentencing Bill: Bishop of Leeds tables amendment on purpose of imprisonment

On 26th November 2025, the Bishop of Leeds spoke to the Bishop of Gloucester’s amendment to the Sentencing Bill, which would seek to give a statutory definition to the purpose of imprisonment:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 45A in the place of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester, who, regrettably, is not able to be here today. It seems that in wider society there is a greater push for harsher punishment and longer sentences, and there is a tension with what the purpose of such punishment is. This amendment is designed to provide some elucidation on that. It would define in law the purposes of imprisonment and require the courts and the Secretary of State to have regard to the purposes of imprisonment.

Votes: Planning and Infrastructure Bill

On 24th November 2025, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendments on protection of chalk streams

The Bishop of Norwich tabled a further amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill focusing on the protection of chalk streams on 24th November 2025,, in response to Commons reasons/amendments to the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: At end insert “and do propose Amendment 38B in lieu—

38B: After Clause 52, insert the following new Clause—

“Chalk streams

(1) The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of the day on which this Act is passed, by regulations made by statutory instrument, provide guidance to strategic planning authorities on how they must, in delivering their planning functions, take into account the need to define, protect and enhance chalk stream habitats.

(2) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.””

My Lords, I am grateful for the strong support that my earlier Amendment 38 gained on Report. Chalk streams are globally rare habitats of which we have 85% in England. We simply must protect them and other irreplaceable habitats, because we have lost so much of this nation’s nature already.

I pay tribute to the Minister for her hard work on the Bill and for engaging with me, the noble Baronesses, Lady Grender and Lady Willis, and the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, together with Minister Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning. I know that the noble Baroness values chalk streams in her native Hertfordshire. I am grateful that she recognises the positive intent of this amendment, and I listened very carefully to the three commitments that she gave. But I am still concerned, even with those commitments.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of London supports further safeguards

The Bishop of London spoke during a committee debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 21st November 2025, supporting amendments aimed at introducing further safeguards and monitoring into the bill:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I will speak particularly in support of Amendments 181, 45 to 49, 58 and 222. It is a privilege to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Hollins, and the noble Lord, Lord Griffiths, whom I thank for sharing their personal stories. They are a reminder to us that this debate touches some of the deepest things within us, and not only should we be kind to each other but we ought also to be kind to ourselves.

I declare my interests as set out in the register, and particularly that I am vice-president of Exeter Hospice Care, chair of the UK Commission on Bereavement, and patron of AtaLoss. Your Lordships will know that, however many amendments there are to this Bill, I do not feel it will ever be safe. But I want to speak on this group because I believe that these amendments are at the heart of the issue of motivation. I remain concerned about the fact that there is currently no real, deep investigation of the motivation for assisted dying.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill: Bishop of Chester gives maiden speech on stewardship and communities

The Bishop of Chester gave his maiden speech at the second reading of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill on 20th November 2025, emphasising the importance of sustainability and responsible stewardship of the earth, and the vital importance of air travel to communities:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their warm welcome, although I confess that sustainable aviation fuel was not a subject that I imagined I would be addressing when various noble Lords have given me advice about maiden speeches. I am grateful for their wisdom, warmth and welcome, and especially that of the doorkeepers and staff of this House. It seems that I should have taken them rather more literally when they said I would be working with high-flyers, and rather less literally when they pointed out that not everything was rocket science.

I speak as one born almost two and a half thousand miles from where we sit. Indeed, the first serious journey of my life was by air, back here to the UK. I am also a father and, like the rest of this noble House, entrusted with passing on entire to the next generation this good earth. Sustainability matters: the good Lord provided us with many things, but a spare planet was not among them, at least in this age. It is this balance of pragmatisms which means that I speak largely in support of the Bill. We need to be real about air travel being vital to modern life. It builds community, enables encounter and crosses divides.

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