News about bishops and the church in Parliament. Opinion and comment pieces by Lords Spiritual on parliamentary / political issues.
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on the Scrap Metal Dealers Act, the current situation in Myanmar, the Refugee (Family Reunion) Bill and the Divorce (Financial Provision) Bill. They also responded to a Government statement on the Iran Nuclear Deal and asked a question about strengthening the family. Bishops also voted on amendments to the Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 7th May – 11th May 2018”
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke and voted on amendments to the Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill, and asked questions about protecting children from gambling advertising, on the benefit cap and two-child limit, plastic materials in packaging and clothing, and assistance for refugees.
Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 30th April – 4th May 2018”
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on the future sustainability of the NHS and on the Bat Habitats Regulation Bill, responded to a Government statement on immigration removal targets, and asked questions about social mobility, refugees and Gaza. Bishops also voted on amendments to the Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill. In the House of Commons Dame Caroline Spelman MP answered questions on behalf of the Church Commissioners on freedom of religion in the Commonwealth, rural schools, out of school settings, recycling and thefts from churches. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 23rd – 27th April 2018”
On 16th April 2018 the House of Lords’ Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence published its report (which can be read here). The Bishop of Oxford, Rt Revd Steve Croft, was a member of the Committee and published the following blog on his website about the report:
THE ONLY WAY IS ETHICS
Developing Artificial Intelligence in the UK
For the past year, I’ve been a member of the House of Lords’ Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. The Committee of 13 members received 223 pieces of written evidence and took oral sessions from 57 witnesses over 22 sessions between October and December. It has been a fascinating process. Continue reading “Bishop of Oxford on Developing Artificial Intelligence in the UK”
The following letter, expressing concern about the consequences of the two-child limit policy for children and families was signed by sixty bishops (including nineteen Lords Spiritual) and representatives from other denominations and faiths. It appeared in The Times newspaper on 6th April 2018.
The publication of the letter coincided with the release of a report from the End Child Poverty Coalition assessing the impact of the policy, which was introduced in April 2017. The accompanying press release from the Coalition can be accessed here, and the Church of England’s media notice is available here.
The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, published a blog on the Church of England’s website on the same day, the full text of which is also reproduced below.
Two-child limit on Universal Credit
Sir, Today the “two-child limit” policy, which restricts tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in a family, has been in place for a year. The policy is making it harder for parents to achieve a stable and resilient family life. By 2021, 640,000 families will have been affected. Most are low-earning working families, most have three children and some will have made decisions about family size when they were able to support children through earnings alone, but later claimed tax credits or universal credit after bereavement, redundancy, separation, disability, illness or simply low pay. Continue reading “Bishops highlight consequences of the two-child limit in letter to The Times and blog post”
This week in the House of Lords bishops tabled a question on the social harm of fixed-odds betting terminals and spoke and voted on changes to free school meal entitlement for those on low incomes. Bishops spoke in debates on domestic abuse, the Commonwealth, the EU Withdrawal Bill, and paid tribute to a former Leader of the House of Lords. They asked questions about modern slavery, and religious persecution, and took part in votes on a Private Member’s Bill on hereditary peer by-elections. Five Church of England Measures were debated and approved by the House of Lords.
In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a question on wi-fi and broadband and use of church buildings. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 19th – 23rd March 2018”
This week in the House of Lords the Bishop of Lincoln delivered his maiden speech during a debate on the economy. Bishops spoke on the economy and asked questions about hate speech online, attacks on Muslims, child sexual exploitation scandals, the Government’s integration strategy, child hunger and school meals, Jerusalem and the Church Lands Bill, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on wi-fi and broadband and use of church buildings. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 12th – 16th March 2018”
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in debates on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill and the incident in Salisbury. They asked questions on the Holy Sepulchre, civil unrest in the DRC, support available for female offenders and received answers on the incarceration of British citizens in the US, freedom of religion and belief and Child Tax Credits.
In the House of Commons the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered questions on the Church Investors Group, digital connectivity, environmental taxation, homelessness, the Holy Sepulchre , church infrastructure and financial education, and asked her own question about plastics reduction. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 5th – 9th March 2018”
This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in a debate on facial recognition technology and asked questions about disabled access, minimum unit pricing for alcohol, immigration detention, support for students with learning disabilities, and free school meals for children in poverty. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 26th February – 2nd March 2018”
The Church of England in Parliament 
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