Category: News

News about bishops and the church in Parliament. Opinion and comment pieces by Lords Spiritual on parliamentary / political issues.

Time to recognise mothers’ names – Bishop of St Albans and Caroline Spelman

The following article was published in the Church Times on 2 March 2018:

Time to recognise mothers’ names

Our Bill will right an injustice and lessen clergy burdens, say Alan Smith and Caroline Spelman.

THE current system of marriage registration contains a clear and historic injustice. Only the couple’s fathers’ names are formally recorded when the marriage is registered. This practice, unchanged since 1837, means that mothers are systemically overlooked on a day that celebrates the creation of a new family.

We have, therefore, chosen to introduce identical Bills in the House of Lords and the House of Commons to ensure that mothers’ names are equally recognised when marriages are registered (News, 2 February). MPs from all main parties have supported calls for reform, and a 2014 petition asking the Government to include mothers’ names received more than 70,000 signatures.

Continue reading “Time to recognise mothers’ names – Bishop of St Albans and Caroline Spelman”

Week in Westminster, 19th -23rd February 2018

This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke on the importance of volunteers, on nuclear weapons, and the Ecumenical Marriage Bill. They asked questions about the humanitarian crisis in Syria, women in the prison system, apprenticeships, attacks on Christians in Sudan, social care, child tax credits, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 19th -23rd February 2018”

Week in Westminster, 5th-9th February 2018

The Bishop of St Albans was on duty in the House of Lords throughout the week and asked questions on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, plastics recycling, the Taylor Review of working practices, and women’s centres. Parliament rose for recess and will return on 20th February. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 5th-9th February 2018”

Week in Westminster, 29th January – 2nd February 2018

This week in Parliament bishops spoke in debates on the Government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill, and on the environment. They asked questions about income inequality, and the Rohiynga in Burma. In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner spoke in a debate about the renovations of the Palace of Westminster, suggesting Church House Westminster might be a suitable alternative venue. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 29th January – 2nd February 2018”

Week in Westminster, 15th-19th January 2018

This week in the House of Lords the Bishop of Chichester was introduced  and took his seat on the Bishops’ Benches. Bishops spoke in debates on the work of charities, green finance, defence and modern languages. They asked questions about the impact of the Corillion collapse on apprentices, faith at the Commonwealth Summit, displaced people in Kurdistan, UK defence capability, refugee family reunion, and development aid.  In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner highlighted the work of the Clewer Initiative in tackling modern slavery, and answered a written question on St. Elisabeth’s Church, Eastbourne.
Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 15th-19th January 2018”

Church Times: Artificial intelligence can do immense good — but also harm, warns Steven Croft

The following article appeared in the Church Times on 19th January 2018.

Tough questions for technology
Dr Steven Croft is the Bishop of Oxford and a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence.

 

 

A SELECT COMMITTEE of the House of Lords has been hearing evidence on every aspect of artificial intelligence (AI) as it affects business, consumers, warfare, health, education, and research (News, 28 July).

The committee is due to report in April, and we are just beginning the process of distilling all that we have heard into the critical issues for public policy. But it is clear to me that the traditional life script of 20 years of education followed by 40 years of work and retirement may no longer be normal. Continue reading “Church Times: Artificial intelligence can do immense good — but also harm, warns Steven Croft”

Bishop of Chichester, Rt Revd Martin Warner, joins the Lords

On Monday 15th January 2018 the Bishop of Chichester, Rt Revd Martin Warner, was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat on the Bishops’ Benches.

Continue reading “Bishop of Chichester, Rt Revd Martin Warner, joins the Lords”

Week in Westminster, 8th-12th January 2018

This week in the House of Lords bishops led a debate on the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, welcomed a Government Bill to help victims of domestic violence and spoke in debates on social media and housebuilding. They asked questions about homelessness, child refugees, and the probation service. In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner answered a written question about Scrooby parish church. Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 8th-12th January 2018”

Week in Westminster, 18th-21st December 2017

Week in Westminster, 11th-15th December 2017

This week in the House of Lords bishops spoke in a debate on the root causes of poverty and supported the Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill. They asked questions about the two-child limit on benefits, credit limits and recycling.  Continue reading “Week in Westminster, 11th-15th December 2017”