Social Housing Bill: Bishop of Manchester speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Manchester spoke at the second reading of the Social Housing Bill on 1st June 206, noting the need for secure and high-quality social housing to combat child poverty and help build communities:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, it is always daunting to follow the noble Lord, Lord Best, on a matter to do with housing. I begin by declaring my interest: I am the chair of the Church Housing Association, a recently formed, not-for-profit social housing provider that we are seeking to build, literally and metaphorically, on the five core values that were set out in the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury’s commission on housing, Coming Home, which was debated in your Lordships’ House a few years ago. Those values—that social housing should be safe, secure, sustainable, sociable and satisfying—provide a set of tests against which any proposed legislation could be measured, hence I warmly welcome the Bill. It will make social housing better.

Housing is a fundamental human right. It is a foundation for other core rights, including things such as health, dignity, sanitation and sometimes the right to life itself. The Bill rightly addresses the concern that there is not enough stock in this country to house those in need.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about overseas aid

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the possibility of increasing overseas aid to mitigate harm to minority and disenfranchised communities in the Middle East, following a government statement on the economic response to the war in Iran on 1st June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as this debate has continued, I have become increasingly concerned that the phrase “Middle East” in the title is referring to somewhere between Nottinghamshire in the north and Northamptonshire in the south. The Middle East to me is a series of countries where war is currently raging and people are suffering incredible consequences—I am thinking, for example, of Afghan refugees in Iran, who are one of the most vulnerable groups there, and many other Iranian citizens, and thinking of some of the Palestinians in the West Bank. Is this not the time, as well as looking after our own people, for the Government and Treasury to think about increasing our overseas aid to mitigate some of the severe harm that is being done to some minority communities or oppressed communities in different parts of the Middle East?

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Bishop of Manchester highlights concerns for mental health of trans people following supreme court judgement

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for the mental health of trans people during a discussion on the implementation of Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers on 1st June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, alongside other faith leaders, I am increasingly coming across trans people—men and women, often young and quite fragile—who are increasingly frightened. They are frightened about participating in public life and about being challenged. Some are even frightened about going to the doctor. What assessment have His Majesty’s Government made of the mental health of trans people, and how will they support them with these changes?

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about housing supply and housebuilding

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 21st May 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support SME builders in order to diversify the housebuilding sector.

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Bishop of Oxford asks about public education on climate change

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on public education around the climate emergency on 19th May 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I am very grateful to the Minister for his Answer and for all that the Government are doing. In the light of the richly deserved tributes to Sir David Attenborough, what is the Government’s view on the role of public education and investment in public education around the climate emergency? Do they commend, for instance, the “People’s Emergency Briefing”, the new film which has been produced? Do they want to increase investment to rebuild the political consensus that we had some years ago that this is a national emergency?

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Archbishop of Canterbury asks about support for NHS staff dealing with cases of miscarriage and infant loss

The Archbishop of Canterbury asked a question on support for NHS staff working in maternity care during a discussion on baby loss and birth trauma on 18th May 2026:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, baby loss can be one of the most difficult experiences for any person, but especially for NHS staff who work in or around maternity and neonatal care settings. Can the Minister outline for us what specific support is in place in the NHS for staff who experience baby loss that recognises this additional need?

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Bishop of Norwich asks about climate finance

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 28th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they delivered their commitment to provide £11.6 billion of international climate finance between 2021–22 and 2025–26, including £3 billion to protect and restore ecosystems abroad.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about environmental impact of current conflict in the Gulf

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 27th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact on the natural environment of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the recent conflict.

Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab, FCDO): No such assessment has been made.

Hansard

Bishop of Sheffield asks about asylum applications

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answers on 27th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government how many asylum application caseworkers are currently employed by the Home Office; and what plans they have to hire more staff to address the appeals backlog.

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Bishop of Winchester asks about involvement of Rwandan army in conflict in Democratic Republic of Congo

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 27th April 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what consideration they have given to imposing sanctions on the Rwandan army and key military officials for supporting, training and fighting alongside the March 23 Movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • what assessment they have made of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); and what representations they have made to the governments of the DRC and Rwanda regarding commitments to implementing the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity, including the Regional Economic Integration Framework.
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