Opinion and comment pieces on parliamentary / political issues
On 9th February 2022, Rt Rev Andrew Watson, the Bishop of Guildford, was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat on the Bishops Benches as a Lord Spiritual.
Hansard records that:
Andrew John, Lord Bishop of Guildford, was introduced and took the oath, supported by the Bishop of Birmingham and the Bishop of Carlisle, and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct.
It is an extraordinary responsibility to attend Parliament. As bishops, our faith compels us to raise questions with those in power about people on the margins, children, the voiceless, the many attacks on human rights abroad, and solutions to the climate emergency.
We are not there to simply defend the interests of the established church, or speak only for people of faith, but to play our own part in holding our elected powers to account on behalf of those who need us most, and help the process of making better law.
We have been at the forefront of recent campaigns in Parliament on justice for leaseholders facing fire safety costs, on prison reform, welfare of migrants and refugees, and on harms caused by gambling.
Continue reading “Bishop of Durham: why are bishops in the Lords?”On 25th May 2021 the former Archbishop of York, Rt Revd John Sentamu was introduced to the House of Lords to sit as an independent Crossbench Peer. He will sit under the title Lord Sentamu of Lindisfarne in the County of Northumberland and of Masooli in the Republic of Uganda.
Hansard records:
12.08pm
The right reverend and the right honourable John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu, having been created Baron Sentamu, of Lindisfarne in the County of Northumberland and of Masooli in the Republic of Uganda, was introduced and took the oath, supported by Baroness Hale of Richmond and Lord Popat, and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct.
03/03/2021
Following the Budget speech, the Bishop of Birmingham, David Urquhart, Convenor of the Bishops in the House of Lords, said:
“This is a time of great uncertainty, and while the Chancellor has rightly focussed on steps to get the economy moving, I’m concerned he has missed the chance to give certainty to those people and families who rely on Universal Credit, by not making the £20 uplift permanent.
“I’ll look at the details of the Budget closely for measures that will help the poorest and most vulnerable, especially access to sustainable jobs. The £19m for Domestic Abuse programmes is welcome as is support for schools to help get children back on the road of educational discovery. The lack of detail on social care is, however, a worry.
“The £300m additional funding for the Culture Recovery Fund is very welcome and will support the many small businesses and independent contractors our churches employ and support. I also note that the Levelling Up Fund prospectus specifically mentions cultural and heritage assets, including churches, and we look forward to churches and cathedrals particularly in areas of high deprivation taking part in this programme.”
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of Southwark was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
He asked a question on the impact of Covid-19 on the cultural industries, the need for vaccinations for prison staff and inmates, and housing needs of asylum seekers with disabilities.
The Bishop of Durham asked about child poverty and lower life expectancies in the north-east, and received written answers on the need for a Universal Credit uplift.
The Bishop of Oxford welcomed Government plans to tackle online harms.
The Bishop of St Albans asked Government about gambling related harms, and UK supply chain connections to firms involved in Chinese suppression of Uighurs. He received written answers to questions on hospice funding, and fly-tipping.
The Bishop of Salisbury raised the Government’s missed targets for tree planting, welcomed the Energy White Paper and asked about the use of churches as electric vehicle charge points.
The Bishop of Gloucester received written answers to questions on pregnant women and mothers in prison, and the impact on families of the remand backlog.
Bishops took part in votes on the UK Internal Market Bill.
Parliament rose for the Christmas recess on 17th December, to return in January.
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of Newcastle was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
She asked a question on the effect of international aid cuts on vaccines for malaria, and took part in votes.
The Bishop of Worcester asked about a national child poverty strategy.
The Bishops of Coventry, Southwark and Leeds received written answers to questions about use of cluster munitions, protection of refugees, and religious and cultural sites in Nagorno Karabakh.
The Bishop of Oxford asked Government about age ratings for content on streaming platforms.
The Bishop of St Albans sponsored amendments on parliamentary oversight, and human rights, to the Government’s Trade Bill. He and other bishop voted in support of amendments to the Bill.
The Bishop also asked Government about gambling related harms, and their Agriculture Transition Plan. He received written answers to questions on armed conflict and food shortages in Ethiopia, and whether UK purchased PPE had been made using Chinese forced labour in China.
The Bishop of Peterborough asked Government to make retrospective pension entitlements of some remarried war widows.
The Bishop of Salisbury received a written answer on a potential environmental governance gap after the end of the Brexit transition period.
Bishops took part in votes on the UK Internal Market Bill and a report into the conduct and suspension of a Member.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question on landholdings.
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of Carlisle was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
He asked questions about Child Trust Funds, access to cancer treatment in the developing world, and supported amendments to prohibit or regulate the use of children by police and security services in covert investigations.
The Bishop of London asked about domestic abuse of elderly people during covid lockdown.
The Bishop of St Albans asked Government about the announced overseas aid cut, Eritrean refugees, and received written answers to questions on gambling, outdoor carol singing, hospice funding, the effects of quantitative easing, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
He and the Bishops of Coventry, Southwark and Leeds received written answers to seven questions about armed conflict, peace, reconstruction and religious and cultural sites in Nagorno Karabakh.
The Bishop of Portsmouth responded to the Government’s spending review announcement, focusing on universal credit and aid
The Bishop of Gloucester received written answers to questions on prisoner release over Christmas and contact with family.
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of St Albans was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
The Bishop of Worcester responded to news of the cut in the overseas aid budget, describing it as a broken promise to the poorest.
The Bishop of St Albans asked Government about the rural economy, nuclear weapons, valuing the civil service, diversity on the Equality and Human Rights Commission board, and received written answers to questions on gambling (advertising, rehabilitation, education and football), technology used for detention of Uyghurs in China, and protection of monasteries and churches in Nagorno-Karabakh.
He, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Leeds voted on amendments to the Government’s UK Internal Market Bill.
The Bishop of Durham asked about the resumption of the refugee resettlement scheme.
The Bishop of Portsmouth welcomed the Government’s integrated review of foreign, defence, security and development policy.
In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions from MPs on public worship, tree planting, Christmas services, gender-based violence, Living in Love and Faith, cathedral services, Christian persecution, community support and consistory court appeals.
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of Salisbury was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 16th-20th November 2020”
Parliament met in Westminster and online this week. The Bishop of Durham was on duty in the House of Lords and read prayers at the start of each sitting day.
The Bishop raised concerns about child safety in the Government’s Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill. He also asked questions about the need for a child poverty commission, safety guidance for places of worship, homelessness, a Royal Commission on criminal justice, and benefit rates. He received answers to written questions on safe asylum routes and the outsourcing of asylum interviews.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of Leeds spoke in the debate on the Government’s UK Internal Market Bill, and sponsored amendments on Northern Ireland and international law. They and seven other bishops voted with the large majority to remove controversial clauses of the Bill on those issues.
The Bishop of Winchester asked Government to continue to prioritise freedom of religion and belief overseas.
The Bishop of Oxford received written answers to questions on employment conditions in the gig economy.
The Bishop of St Albans asked Government about Hong Kong, and received written answers to questions on rural infrastructure investment, gambling harm, housebuilding, and Uighurs in China.
The Bishop of Portsmouth asked a question about job losses as a result of coronavirus.
The Bishop of Southwark supported an amendment by Lord Dubs on child refugees and family reunion, to the Government’s Immigration Bill.
The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question about the elimination of gender-based violence.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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