Speeches – Page 12 – The Church of England in Parliament

Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill: Bishop of Manchester passes private members bill in the Lords

On 14th March 2025, the Bishop of Manchester’s private member’s bill, the Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill, had its third reading and passed through the House of Lords:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as this will be my last opportunity to address your Lordships’ House on this Bill, I crave your indulgence for a couple of minutes. There are something like 92,000 care leavers in the 18 to 25 age bracket at any one time. While it is hard to be precise about how much this Bill would cost, the best estimate is that it would probably add something like £25 million a year to the total costs on the Government. That would enable a young care leaver who is in receipt of universal credit to get an extra £80 a month, which is 25% more than they currently get. It would be life-changing for them. It would make, I would argue, very little difference to the state of the nation’s finances.

Bishop of Lichfield highlights role of education in community cohesion

The Bishop of Lichfield spoke in a debate on integration and community cohesion on 13th March 2025, emphasising the importance of reaching across barriers and the role of education in promoting community cohesion:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: My Lords, I sincerely thank the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, for securing this important debate. I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Raval, on his excellent maiden speech, and I look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Rook. I thank the noble Lord for all the work he has done over the years with the churches, including the Church of England, in which he is an ordained priest, and with communities of other faiths. I commend his tireless advocacy, as a key adviser to the Government, of the important role that faith plays in the life of our country. I know that his vast experience and expertise, and that of the noble Lord, Lord Raval, will add great value to this House.

Hereditary Peers Bill: Bishop of Sheffield outlines opposition to amendments reducing number of Lords Spiritual

The Bishop of Sheffield spoke in a debate on the Hereditary Peers Bill on 12th March 2025, opposing amendments that would reduce the number of Lords Spiritual in the House Lords:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I am sorry to disappoint the noble Lord, Lord Moore, in the fact that the Bench of Bishops is briefly going to speak up on its own behalf. He may be surprised, as may many noble Lords opposite, that in the first eight months of the current Parliament the Bishops have voted 29 times, and only five times with the Labour Government. The Bishops are not party political; we really do seek to improve and scrutinise legislation. That is by the way.

I am grateful for the opportunity offered by this range of amendments to address some of the concerns expressed by Members of this Committee about the place and role of those of us who serve on these Benches. Although we are not whipped and do not have a party line, the Lords spiritual are pretty much all of one mind that your Lordships’ House would benefit from some reform, not least to do with numbers and patronage. As noble Lords would expect, we believe that a reformed House of Lords should include Lords spiritual and should continue to reflect the present constitutional arrangement.

Football Governance Bill: Bishop of Sheffield supports amendment on Climate Change Act compliance

On 11th March 2025, the Bishop of Sheffield spoke in support of amendment 13 to the Football Governance Bill which would ensure that football clubs comply with the Climate Change Act 2008:

My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 13, to which I have added my name. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Jones, for tabling this significant addition to the Bill.

Holocaust Memorial Bill: Bishop of St Albans tables amendments

The Bishop of St Albans moved two amendments to the Holocaust Memorial Bill on11th March 2025: amendment 22, which would seek to “limit the amount of time that Victoria Tower Gardens can be closed to the public as a result of events linked to the proposed Holocaust memorial and learning centre to three days a year,” and amendment 26, which would seek to “prevent the establishment of refreshment kiosks or static outbuildings in Victoria Tower Gardens.”

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, for opening this group. I will speak to my Amendment 22, which seeks to limit the amount of time that Victoria Tower Gardens can be closed to the public as a result of events linked to the proposed Holocaust memorial and learning centre to three days a year.

The protection conferred on Victoria Tower Gardens by the original Act of 1900 was put in place to ensure access to the park as a park in perpetuity. This is particularly important to residents in the locality, many of whom live in flats and would not otherwise have access to green spaces. We cannot discuss this Bill without giving due consideration to them and what protections will be in place for them. I note that, in responding to these concerns, the Select Committee report states that limiting the closure dates of Victoria Tower Gardens is a “reasonable request”, as it particularly affects residents who use it on a weekly basis.

Armed Forces Commissioner Bill: Bishop of Norwich raises impact on families and army chaplaincy

The Bishop of Norwich spoke at the second reading of the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill on 5th March 2025, supporting the bill while raising queries on the work of army chaplains, the UK Armed Forces Families Strategy, and the definition of family members given in the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his introduction. I saw it as a very positive step that the Labour Party pledged in its 2024 general election manifesto to establish an independent Armed Forces commissioner to improve service life.

I declare an interest as the father of a soldier. While my own son is enjoying his Army career and gaining much from it, previous speeches in your Lordships’ House and in the other place have cited record lows in morale and a crisis in recruitment and retention as driving this need for a strong, independent voice to represent the needs of service personnel and their families. So I see it as a very positive step forward that the Bill will enable any personnel or their families to raise a service welfare matter with the proposed commissioner, wherever in the world that matter may have taken place.

Service personnel and their families give much to this nation, as has already been said in your Lordships’ House. Much of that is unseen and can impact on extended family members, who often give unstinting support to loved ones during deployments and at other times. Personnel and their families never know what is around the corner or what might be expected of them, as we know all too well at present.

Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester speaks to amendments

The Bishop of Manchester spoke during a debate on amendments to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, expressing concern over the potential effects on churches and other places of worship, and the effects on voluntary commitments:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am grateful that we are debating the amendments in this group. I declare my interest, having lots of churches in Manchester that fall under the terms of the Bill.

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham argues for further reflections on proposals relating to prenuptial agreements

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham spoke in a debate on reform of the law around prenuptial agreements on 27th February 2025, raising issues involved in these agreements and urging further reflection on the implications of changes to the law, as well as highlighting the value of the marriage covenant:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, for bringing the debate on this Motion and for raising such fundamentally important issues, which she set out so clearly. I also acknowledge with respect the considerable wisdom and insight of the noble Baroness, Lady Shackleton, on these matters.

It has been my personal privilege to prepare many couples for marriage over the years. It is a hopeful time, where couples seek to express unconditional love and trust, and commit to share all aspects of their life, both at the time and looking to the future, whatever it may hold. I believe it would be detrimental for all parties if prenuptial agreements were to become a normal part of preparing for marriage, whether religious or not—although I entirely acknowledge the arguments in favour of these agreements, particularly the clarity they provide in financial matters, especially where there are pre-existing children, and their role in reducing litigation upon divorce.

Bishop of Chelmsford leads debate on British citizens held by Iran

The Bishop of Chelmsford led a debate on government progress in reducing the number of British citizens held by the Iranian regime on 27th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they are making to reduce the number of British citizens being held by the Iranian regime.

My Lords, I am grateful that time has been allocated to this debate and I look forward to the range of contributions, as well as to the Minister’s response.

I declare my personal interest in the subject. I come originally from Iran; I was born in the beautiful and historic city of Isfahan and I left as a teenager, with my family, following the impact of the Islamic revolution on the small Anglican Church community of which we were a part and, in particular, the attempt on my father’s life and the murder of my 24 year-old brother.

As I have said before in this Chamber, none of this has left me with ill will towards my homeland, but rather a profound sense of sadness at its current plight. I retain a deep love for Iran, its beauty and ancient civilization, and I have great respect for my fellow countryfolk, many of whom suffer in an increasingly intolerable situation or find themselves part of the growing diaspora community. I still hope one day to travel back to Iran, but for now this is not possible because of the current regime.

Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025: Bishop of Chelmsford speaks in committee

On 25th February 2025, the Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at a committee debate on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, it is very good to be here today and I am glad to be able to contribute on this important subject. As we consider a proposed uprating of 1.7%, as compared with 6.8% last year and 10.1% the year before, I am mindful of the different backdrop to this year’s decision. We may no longer be in a period of soaring inflation, but costs remain high in just about every area of life. The discrepancy between the inflation rate from September 2024, by which most means-tested benefits will be uprated, and the current rate of 3% will be felt particularly by those who have not benefited from wage growth this year. This is a timely moment to explore social security as the Government set out their wider agenda in this area.

The manifesto commitments to review universal credit as a means of supporting people into work and addressing poverty and to produce a child poverty strategy could give us a basis on which to improve the lives of millions of people in our country. Indeed, bold action is required in both these areas and, like other noble Lords, I await the outcome of these reviews with keen interest.

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