Category: Speeches

Speeches delivered in debates in the Lords and Commons

Bishop of Rochester calls for better end of life care services in prison

On 22nd October 2015 the Bishop of Rochester, Rt Revd James Langstaff, spoke during a House of Lords debate tabled by Lord Farmer “To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report Dying Without Dignity, what steps they are taking to ensure that everyone who needs it has access to good palliative care and a level of social care that ensures the end of life is valued.” The Bishop, the Church’s lead bishop for prisons, spoke about the need to improve end of life care for those in prison.

14.04.01 Rochester intro 2

The Lord Bishop of Rochester:  My Lords, I understand that the noble Lord, Lord Suri, is not able to be present for this discussion, but I promise not to extend my contribution by the minutes thereby freed. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for initiating this debate, and I apologise that I am not going to touch on matters that are directly to do with spirituality. I shall leave that to those who have done so—my right reverend friend and others—because I want to focus on one particular aspect of end-of-life care: what goes on in Her Majesty’s prisons, for which I am bishop. Continue reading “Bishop of Rochester calls for better end of life care services in prison”

Bishop of Carlisle praises work of chaplains and volunteers in end of life care

On 22nd October 2015 Lord Farmer asked Her Majesty’s Government, “in the light of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report Dying Without Dignity, what steps they are taking to ensure that everyone who needs it has access to good palliative care and a level of social care that ensures the end of life is valued.” The Bishop of Carlisle, Rt Revd James Newcome, spoke in the debate, praising the work of chaplains and volunteers in delivering end of life care. The Bishop of Rochester also spoke in the debate. 

Carlisle Moses RoomThe Lord Bishop of Carlisle:  My Lords, today’s debate, for which I am also most grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, has prompted me to take a fresh look at some of the numerous documents on palliative care that have been produced over the past two years, including of course the ombudsman’s report, Dying Without Dignity. As I read the documents, I was struck and impressed by their general agreement that palliative care at the end of life involves more than simply the relief of physical pain, crucial though of course that is. Suffering is not always the same as pain and it is often more difficult to ease, which is why the word “holistic” is often used to describe the kind of care that is needed. I cite as an example the NICE quality standard which is regarded by NHS England as,

“a comprehensive picture of what high quality end of life care should look like”.

In particular, as we have been reminded by the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, reference is made to spiritual and religious support not only for patients but for relatives, carers and staff. Such support is an essential element in end of life care. Continue reading “Bishop of Carlisle praises work of chaplains and volunteers in end of life care”

Bishop of Portsmouth speaks about challenges of retention of armed forces reservists

On 22nd October 2015 Lord Freeman led a Lords debate “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the present and future strength of the reserves of the British Armed Forces.” The Bishop of Portsmouth spoke in the debate

14.04.09 Portsmouth maiden speech 2The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth:  My Lords, I share our gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Freeman, for this Question for Short Debate. The Whole Force Concept is journeying from theory to reality. It is a tricky journey, it seems to me, not because the Government set the wrong course five years ago but because of the scale and complexity of the task. It is true that many essential defence skills, and especially many essential national security skills, reside in the private sector as well as in the Armed Forces. To bring these together coherently and effectively requires both strategic direction and effective management. Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth speaks about challenges of retention of armed forces reservists”

Bishop of Coventry on Article 18 and freedom of religion and belief

On 22nd October 2015 Lord Alton of Liverpool hosted a debate in the Lords “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, if any, to promote Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights.” The Bishop of Coventry spoke in the debate, on religion and national identity / loyalty.

Coventry Moses RoomThe Lord Bishop of Coventry:  My Lords, I, too, am very grateful for this debate. I will focus my comments on the interface between religion and national identity, and the theological and political dangers of too close an alignment between them. Too often, the abuse of religious freedom arises from a false collusion between religion and national loyalty. We saw it once in our own land and, yes, in my own church. We see it now in the “gozinesh” criterion for state employment in Iran, in the treatment of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and in the actions of the so-called Orthodox Army in the Donbass region of Ukraine.

Religions, which at their best seek to serve all humanity, find themselves yoked to a form of patriotism that is insecure and sees minorities as the enemy within. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry on Article 18 and freedom of religion and belief”

Bishop of Southwark speaks on the Prime Minister’s response to the bishops’ letter on refugees

On 19th October 2015 the Leader of the House of Lords repeated a statement made to the Commons by the Prime Minister on the European Council. The Bishop of Southwark, Rt Rev. Christopher Chessun, followed up with a short statement about the recent letter to the Prime Minister on refugees from 84 bishops of the Church of England .  

Bp Southwark May 2015The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, we wish to thank the noble Baroness the Leader of the House for her Statement in which she repeated the Prime Minister’s Statement in another place on the European Council. I gather that in response to a point made about the Bishops’ recent letter, he said that he would like to see the Bishops make a very clear statement on the commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on aid. I speak only as the duty Bishop but Bishops always try to make very clear statements whenever they speak. We thank and endorse and congratulate the Government on maintaining this policy of delivering 0.7%; it is something from which many of the poorest countries in the world benefit. Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark speaks on the Prime Minister’s response to the bishops’ letter on refugees”

Bishop of St Albans leads Lords debate on rural housing and Right to Buy

On 15th October 2015 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, led a debate in the House of Lords to ask the Government “how they plan to deliver a sustainable supply of affordable housing in rural communities, particularly in the light of the planned extension of the Right to Buy scheme.” The full text of the Bishop’s speech is below, as is the response from the Minister.

Bishop of St Albans

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am very grateful to all those who have agreed to contribute to this debate, many of whom have huge experience in this area, and I am looking forward to what they have to say.

The provision of affordable housing is vital to the long-term sustainability of rural communities so that they continue to be places where a broad cross-section of people can live and work. It is all the more important, given that rural house prices are currently well beyond the means of many lower-income and middle-income people. Indeed, it is estimated that in 90% of rural authorities, the average home costs eight times the average salary. However, rural communities currently face a serious lack of affordable housing. Only 8% of rural housing stock is considered affordable, compared with 20% in urban areas. The amount of new affordable rural housing is also low. In 2013, only 2,886 affordable homes were built in rural areas out of nearly 40,000 affordable homes nationally. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans leads Lords debate on rural housing and Right to Buy”

Bishop of Derby speaks about the importance of apprenticeships and employer academies

On 15th October 2015 the House of Lords debated apprenticeships. The Bishop of Derby, Rt Revd Alastair Redfern spoke in the debate. His remarks and the minister’s response are below:

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I, too, thank the noble Baroness, Lady Prosser, for introducing this debate so clearly and raising so many important issues. I also commend the Government’s aspiration for 3 million apprenticeships and for greater flexibility and a range of standards. I also endorse the point made by the noble Baroness about the reality of a skill shortage and the urgency of us tackling this agenda. I remind the House that apprenticeship comes from an understanding of learning and that it is not just about skills, but about skills learnt in the workplace—that is, in a real context. That, of course, shapes people to be citizens as well as workers. I hope that understanding of apprenticeship will remain at the centre of this initiative and not get pushed to one side by a more narrow focus on skills per se. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby speaks about the importance of apprenticeships and employer academies”

Bishop of Sheffield praises vision of sustainable development goals and calls for more action on climate change

On 17th September 2015 Lord Chidgey moved “that this House takes note of the forthcoming summit on sustainable development goals in September and Her Majesty’s Government’s objectives at that summit.” The Bishop of Sheffield, Rt Revd Steven Croft, made a speech:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, from these Benches I warmly welcome this debate and thank the noble Lord, Lord Chidgey, for bringing it forward. I welcome the sustainable development goals and the Government’s commitment to them.

14.03.27 Bishop of Sheffield

Like others, I was initially somewhat sceptical about a document that contains 17 goals and 169 targets. These are not even memorable or round numbers. However, I am inspired by the single vision for our world that drives and shapes these goals. That vision is set out in the ambitious declaration that forms a preface to the draft document to be considered and, we hope, agreed at the September summit. The language of the declaration is lofty—rightly so. It says:

“Never before have world leaders pledged common action and endeavour across such a broad and universal policy agenda”. Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield praises vision of sustainable development goals and calls for more action on climate change”

Bishop of St Albans calls for more protection for dairy farmers

“Just as global markets have meant that prices have collapsed, there will come a time when they will suddenly rise dramatically. That is how markets work. The point about milk and dairy is that you cannot simply turn it on again. You cannot keep cows tucked away somewhere just in case. It is vital that we make sure that we continue to have a basic ability to produce food”  – Bishop of St Albans, 17/9/15

Bishop of St AlbansOn 17th September 2015, the Earl of Shrewsbury in a question for short debate asked the Government “what steps they are taking to support the dairy industry in the United Kingdom, in the light of the European Union aid package announced on 7 September.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, said:

Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans calls for more protection for dairy farmers”

Bishop of Derby urges focus on humanitarian values in the fight against ISIL

On 16th September 2015 the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Alastair Redfern, spoke during a debate on the humanitarian impact of developments in the Middle East and North Africa. The Bishop welcomed much of the Government’s strategy and spoke of the need to renew our Christian-based values of the right of every person to be treated generously when in need, and as a unique and precious individual.

Bishop of DerbyThe Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I shall make a couple of comments and invite the House to think a little about the humanitarian basis of this debate.

As the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, has just said, and the Minister said in her introduction, the scale is unprecedented in our times. The challenge, therefore, to be nimble is very great. I applaud the Government for the amount of investment that has been made in refugees and migrants. I also applaud the Government’s scheme to target the most vulnerable, including victims of sexual violence and torture, the elderly and the disabled. However, I agree with Lord Ashdown that because of the unprecedented scale we need to be generous in our approach and spirit. Continue reading “Bishop of Derby urges focus on humanitarian values in the fight against ISIL”