Category: Speeches

Speeches delivered in debates in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Chichester moves chancel repair and church funding measures

On 31st March 2025, the Bishop of Chichester moved that the Chancel Repair (Church Commissioners’ Liability) Measure and the Church Funds Investment Measure be presented for Royal Assent:

Chancel Repair (Church Commissioners’ Liability) Measure

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: That this House do direct that, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919, the Chancel Repair (Church Commissioners’ Liability) Measure be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.

My Lords, this Measure rationalises the legal basis on which the Church Commissioners are obliged to provide funds to repair the chancels of certain parish churches. The existing law in this area has its origins in the time before the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. The rule that applied generally in England was that the people of the parish were responsible for maintaining the nave of the parish church, the main part of the church where the people would generally stand or kneel during services, and the rector of the parish was responsible for the chancel, the eastern-most part of the church that contains the altar and seats the clergy.

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Bishop of Bristol calls for improved accountability in business to combat modern slavery

The Bishop of Bristol took part in a debate on a report from the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee on 28th March 2025, advocating for improvements to corporate accountability in supply chains:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I, too, speak as a member of the review committee on the Modern Slavery Act in this 10th anniversary week. It was world-leading legislation, as we have heard. I also rise in the week that the Church commemorates Harriet Monsell, founder of the Anglican Community of St John Baptist, Clewer, a community which, from its 19th century inception, had as a core vocation the care of female victims of human trafficking. That community has for several years funded training of community groups across the United Kingdom to notice the trafficked people—women, men and children—hiding in plain sight in their midst and to act on their behalf. Clewer has also produced apps, notably for car washes and nail bars, giving assurance on their labour practices and suppliers. In today’s debate, that is where I would like to focus my remarks.

I draw attention to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act, which imposes a duty on companies supplying goods or services that have a turnover of at least £36 million to

“prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement”

every financial year. The statement should set out the steps that the business is taking to address and prevent the rise of modern slavery in its operations and supply chains. I know that some take that commitment very seriously.

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Employment Rights Bill: Bishop of Newcastle welcomes improvements to workers’ rights

On 27th March 2025, the Bishop of Newcastle spoke at the second reading of the Employment Rights Bill, welcoming the bill and emphasising the need to enable workers to flourish in order to grow the economy:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am glad to speak in this Second Reading. I look forward to the maiden speeches and welcome new Members to your Lordships’ House.

Some years ago, I undertook research on the apostle Paul and work. Paul was never one to shy away from hard work and spoke of the personal cost of his tent making business, describing it as wearisome and fraught with the challenges of local politics. Two thousand years later, we continue to live amid diverse uncertainties.

The desire to make work pay and improve workers’ rights, as proposed by this Bill, must pay attention to the obvious: people who work are human beings. A strong economy needs resilient workers. As we scrutinise this legislation, we do so affirming that workers matter. If we get this right, we can move closer to a society in which people are viewed with inherent value and dignity. When people are valued and supported in what they do, they contribute to greater economic flourishing.

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Bishop of London emphasises need for support for victims of crime in debate on Crown Court backlog

The Bishop of London spoke in a debate on Crown Court Criminal Case Backlog on 20th March 2025, raising the need to support victims of crime:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is humbling to speak in this debate in the company of those better qualified than me to make comment, but I rise to speak particularly about the impact on victims. From London, I also welcome the noble Baroness, Lady Longfield, to her place.

It continues to be a great shame that criminal justice is one of those Cinderella public services. We often talk or feel that spending money on things such as schools and healthcare is good, and of course it is. However, talking about spending money on prisons, probation and the courts is much less frequently affirmed, despite the fact that not spending in the courts has a terrible implication for victims. I wonder whether improving public understanding of the importance of a well-functioning court system for victims and defendants may be key to winning wider support and gaining resources that are so desperately needed. What consideration have the Government given to improving public understanding in this way?

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Bishop of London tables question for debate on support for the bereaved following the COVID-19 pandemic

The Bishop of London tabled a question for short debate on support for those bereaved in the COVID-19 Pandemic on 20th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty’s Government, following the COVID-19 Day of Reflection, what steps they are taking to improve support offered to people bereaved as a result of COVID-19.

My Lords, I declare my interest as the former chair of the UK Commission on Bereavement and other interests as set out in the register. Though we are small in number, I am grateful for the opportunity to hold this debate. I am aware that reflection on the impact of Covid-19 is no longer a particularly attractive subject, but I feel strongly that the impact of this world-changing event will continue to be felt in the years to come.

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Bishop of St Albans speaks on theological background for human rights law

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate marking the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights on 20th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too add my thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for bringing this debate and for his speech. I am not going to explore the legal implications, but want to make a few theological points, if I may. I want to comment on the origins of the spring from which these ideas first came, how it developed into a stream and then a river, and how still today our understanding of rights and responsibilities is developing.

The noble Lord, Lord Lilley, is right. It goes back to those early chapters of Genesis. In fact, you could go back to the Code of Hammurabi, 1,700 years before Christ, but let us go back to the Ten Commandments, where we find the creation narratives where humankind is created in God’s image. It is about the inherent dignity that belongs to each and every person, not dependent on sex, wealth, education or any other differentiation. This is implied in the Ten Commandments and is developed further in passages such as Deuteronomy 10, where God defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the stranger in the land. It is why the prophet Isaiah urges the people of God to seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless and plead for the widow.

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Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on families of service members

On 19th March 2025, the Bishop of Norwich spoke in favour of amendments to the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill regarding support for families of service members:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Shinkwin, and the reflections that he has offered the Committee. I rise to support Amendments 8 and 9. I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Minto, and the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, for outlining their thinking around this issue because it goes to the heart of how we as a nation care for and see the well-being of our Armed Forces and their families, as part of the whole package that we offer to them.

As I think noble Lords know, I speak as the father of a member of the Armed Forces. It is often said that a parent is only as happy as their least happy child. On one level, I can imagine that it is also true that a member of His Majesty’s Armed Forces is only as happy as their least happy family member. So there is a pastoral duty here—one that is supported by many in the Armed Forces, including welfare organisations and our military chaplains—but both these amendments would help us really state the pastoral support that we as a nation feel is important for not only our Armed Forces personnel but their children, their families and their dependants.

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Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill: Bishop of London welcomes legislation

The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill on 19th March 2025, welcoming the bill and its intended purpose of removing the prohibition on Roman Catholics serving as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble and learned Lords, Lord Wallace and Lord Hope. We on these Benches welcome this Bill and, as we have already heard, so does the Church of Scotland.

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Bishop of London urges investment in diplomacy and peacebuilding during debate on the war in Ukraine

The Bishop of London spoke in a debate on UK policy on the war in Ukraine on 17th March 2025, advocating for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and for investment in preventative diplomacy, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding by the UK:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Purvis.

As he points out, peace is not only the absence of war but the presence of justice and of the conditions for human flourishing. Therefore, what we need is a just and lasting peace. This peace must address the causes of the war and provide for Ukraine’s security, sovereignty and freedom. We must recognise that this peace needs to be negotiated by all parties and cannot be dictated by the US. We must recognise that any ceasefire will need to be maintained through a combination of mechanisms, such as troops on the ground and trained mediators who can deal with the contentious and central issues, such as access to resources and the repatriation of civilians.

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Palestine (Statehood Recognition) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports legislation

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Palestine (Statehood Recognition) Bill, a private member’s bill tabled by Baroness Northover, on 14th March 2025, supporting the bill and stressing the need for the UK to support an independent Palestine and the principle of equality for all:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I declare an interest in that I am a patron of the charity Embrace the Middle East. I am also a regular visitor to the region and last visited in June, spending time particularly in the West Bank. As Palestinians shared stories from the past and the present. I was really struck by the absence of hope, the absence of a vision for the future and the focus on simply trying to survive the present.

It is poignant that today is the Jewish festival of Purim, wonderfully marking the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation. It is a stark reminder that all people are equal and, I would add, created in the image of God.

We must go on naming the abhorrent attack on Israel by Hamas. We remember all those who grieve and live with trauma, and of course those who continue to be held hostage and must be released. At the same time, we must not become dull to the horrors of the war in Gaza. All people are equal.

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