Legislation before Parliament
On 21st October 2015 the Rt Revd Peter Forster, Bishop of Chester, spoke a number of times during the report stage debate of the Government’s Energy Bill. The Bishop spoke to amendments relating to the future of Onshore wind power and the closure of the renewables obligation.
Continue reading “Energy Bill – Bishop of Chester on renewable energy amendments”
“We are committed to excellence and parents choose Church of England schools because of the broad and rounded education they provide… I urge the Minister and his officials and his officials to ensure that clear protocols and their consistent application are used to support the continued partnership between church and state as providers of education.” – Bishop of Ely, 20/10/15
On 20th October 2015 the House of Lords debated the Government’s Education and Adoption Bill. The Bishop of Ely, Rt Revd Stephen Conway, who is chair of the Church of England’s Board of Education, spoke about the work of church schools in character education. He also underlined the commitment of the church to helping improve standards through collaborative work between church schools, diocesan bodies and multi-academy trusts. The text of his speech and the minister’s response is below.
The Lord Bishop of Ely: The Church of England is firmly committed to delivering outstanding education that promotes academic excellence, together with the development of the whole child. I welcome all that has already been said about any approach to metrics in education to take a holistic view strongly into account.
I have already spoken in this House about the importance of character education. Last week, the Church of England launched a new discussion paper, on character education in schools, at a conference that was attended by teachers, school leaders and many people involved. The point was our doing this in partnership with the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham, so that the work we are seeking to do in this area is of interest not just to those of us in the church but looks at how we can take a holistic approach to the education of the whole child across the maintained education service. Continue reading “Bishop of Ely highlights role of church schools during Lords debate on Education and Adoption Bill”
On 19th October 2015 the House of Lords considered amendments to the Government’s Energy Bill at its Report stage. Labour Peer Baroness Worthington moved an amendment to, in her words, “change the fundamental objective of the Oil and Gas Authority: to make it fit for purpose, comprehensive and a little bit closer to what we would expect a regulator representing the Government’s interests in the extraction of oil and gas to be interested in; and to maximise economic return from our resources, not necessarily just the economic recovery of fossil fuels.”
Amendment 11: after clause 3, to insert the new clause Transportation and storage of greenhouse gases.
The House divided: Contents: 251 | Not Contents: 179 | Result: Government Defeat
The Bishops of Salisbury, Southwark and St Albans all voted content. No bishop voted not content.
(via Parliament.uk)
On 14th October 2015 the House of Lords considered the Government’s Childcare Bill at its Report stage. The House voted on an amendment from Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, which sought to delay the introduction of Government plans to double the amount of free childcare for parents of three and four-year-olds until a full analysis of the funding the policy had been carried out. An ITV news report on the vote is here.
Amendment: ‘before clause 1, to insert the new clause Funding review’.
The House divided: Contents: 222 | Not Contents: 209 | Result: Government Defeat
The Bishop of St Albans voted content. No bishop voted not content.
(via Parliament.uk)
“There must be more to this referendum than a calculation of the temporary individual economic benefit or disbenefit of membership of the Union in its present form” – Bishop of London 13/10/15
On 13th October 2015 the House of Lords debated the EU Referendum Bill at its Second Reading. The Bishop of London, Rt Rev Richard Chartres, spoke in the debate.
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, in a matter as grave as the future relations between Britain and the European Union, there is perhaps a case for a referendum, which one hopes would settle the direction of travel for a generation. The referendum habit has elsewhere proved contagious. They tend to be run again if those in power do not get the answer they want. There must be a very strong case to justify an exception from our settled preference for a representative democracy that permits the kinds of compromises that the art of government requires. Continue reading “EU Referendum Bill – speech by the Bishop of London”
On 12th October 2015 the Bishop of London, Rt Revd Richard Chartres, spoke in the Second Reading debate on the Government’s Enterprise Bill, to highlight the importance of apprenticeships.
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, as has been said, the Bill is modest in ambition but still very useful, especially the proposals in Part 4 setting targets for apprenticeships and containing measures for protecting the brand.I was fascinated by the Minister’s throwaway suggestion that there ought to be some ceremonies to symbolise the successful conclusion of apprenticeships. Speaking as a representative of “Rituals ‘R’ Us”, I could certainly offer a consultancy. We might even have apprenticeships in the Diaghilev industry that I can see growing today.
I was recently at the topping-out ceremony for the new Bloomberg building in the City of London. It covers three acres and will contain the largest quantity of stone of any building in the City since the construction of St Paul’s, so I dread to think what has happened to Derbyshire as a consequence. Continue reading “Bishop of London speaks in support of apprenticeships measures in Enterprise Bill”
On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Southwark, Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Lord Purvis of Tweed’s Constitutional Convention Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill and its efforts to include those from outside the political sphere in the decision-making process. He also said that the House of Lords needed to resolve the issue of its powers and functions before resolving questions about its membership.
The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Purvis, on securing time for this Bill—a Bill that, in making provision for a constitutional convention, I am happy to support. I note that a growing consensus is emerging for the constitutional questions that we face to be addressed. To use the terms of the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy, when he recently addressed the House of Bishops, we are faced with a constitutional building site and no blueprint of what it is we are trying to construct. A convention could at least help provide that blueprint. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark welcomes call for a constitutional convention”
On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Baroness Howe’s Online Safety Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill and called for further measures to help adults who are addicted to online pornography.
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I follow two Members of the House with very distinguished medical careers who speak with great authority, which I cannot match. However, I want to approach 
the subject in a slightly different way.
I join noble Lords in congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Howe, on introducing her new and improved Bill. Though the Bill has been drafted very properly with children in mind, I want to refer to its potential relevance for adults who are struggling with pornography. I am grateful to the charity Naked Truth, which seeks to support adults caught in the net of pornography addiction, for briefing me for the debate. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester calls for strengthened regulations to combat addiction to online pornography”
On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Revd Christopher Foster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Baroness Howe’s Online Safety Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill and its provisions to protect children and young people from being exposed to adult content online.
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, the provisions of this Bill are an important, indeed essential, part of a robust strategy to protect young people and children from the dangers of exposure to inappropriate material. I welcome it warmly. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill to protect children from harmful content online”
On 17th July 2015 the Bishop of Portsmouth, Rt Revd Christopher Foster, spoke during the Second Reading debate of Lord Faulkner of Worcester’s Accessible Sports Grounds Bill. The Bishop welcomed the Bill.
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, I am pleased to welcome the Bill of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner, and to support it this morning. I am grateful for his and others’ determination to make good provision for disabled people at sports grounds a requirement and not just a vague aspiration. Were this not a sitting Friday and it my responsibility to lead the Prayers of this House, I would instead this morning be at Lord’s for the second day of the Ashes Test. My ticket—obtained long before today was fixed as a sitting Friday—is being put, I trust, to good use. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth welcomes Bill on making sports grounds more accessible”
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