Speeches – Page 18 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Sheffield urges consideration of civil society role of the House of Lords

The Bishop of Sheffield spoke in a debate on House of Lords reform on 12th November 2024, supporting the principle of reform and outlining the role of the House of Lords in providing independence, expertise and a voice from civil society:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I welcome the opportunity for a meaningful debate on this matter. The Lords spiritual have a long history of constructive engagement on the question of reform. I pay tribute especially to the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, who served on the Royal Commission on the Reform of the House of Lords, which produced the Wakeham report in 2000. That commission encouraged

“a broadening and deepening of religious representation in the second chamber”

to reflect the diversity of our multifaith society, a principle that these Benches have supported before and since. We stand ready to assist any future appointments commission in that task.

Autumn Budget: Bishop of Newcastle urges government to consider effects on vulnerable groups

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the autumn budget on 11th November 2024, urging the government to carefully consider the impact of the budget on vulnerable groups:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I feel my B in GCSE maths is challenging my ability to speak with any fiscal authority in this debate, but I am glad of the opportunity to do so. I offer my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Booth-Smith, on his excellent maiden speech and I welcome him to your Lordships’ House.

I recognise that the decisions the Chancellor has made have not been easy, but balanced alongside the Government’s long-term priorities we must consider how this Budget will serve the needs of people who are struggling today, and affect what surely must be a significant long-term ambition—perhaps I can use the word “mission”—to improve social cohesion.

Autumn Budget: Bishop of Gloucester highlights need for reform in the criminal justice system

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the autumn budget on 11th November 2024, with a focus on reform of the criminal justice system:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I will focus on the Budget in the context of criminal justice, and declare my interest as the Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons in England and Wales.

I was encouraged to hear from the Chancellor that the Government intend to

“begin to repair the justice system”,

and I welcome the extra investment in the Ministry of Justice—although how that will be spent is vital. We need to ensure that the aim is not to finance our way out of a prison capacity crisis. Let us first address the purpose of prison and then put the resources in the right place, with a long-term vision of enabling strong and healthy families and communities. As a Christian, I hold fast to hope and transformation. Reoffending continues a pattern of broken relationships and is costly, not only to the fabric of society but in financial terms: it costs approximately £18 billion per year. Let us not increase funds simply to do more of the same, because all the evidence is that it is not working.

Crown Estate Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendment on fish-farming regulations

On 5th November 2024, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Crown Estate Bill. The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Lord Forsyth of Drumlean on regulations around salmon farming on the Estate:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, just briefly, I add to the wide range of support that the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, has had on this amendment some from our Benches here.

Bishop of Newcastle speaks on growth of the technology sector in the North East of England

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the contribution of science and technology to the UK economy on 31st October 2024, with a focus on the growth of the science and technology sector in the North East of England:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, for bringing this important and timely debate. I look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Freeman, and welcome her to your Lordships’ House.

I want to focus my remarks on the north-east region’s rapidly growing science and tech sector as a huge asset to the UK economy, attracting skills and investment from across the world. At the heart of the sector in this region are its five distinguished universities: Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside. This month they announced their new partnership, known as Universities for North East England, that will strengthen their collaboration, making a greater contribution to everyone who lives, works, and studies in the north-east and driving regional economic growth.

Bishop of Newcastle highlights need to support local charities and faith communities in the voluntary sector

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the contribution of the charitable and voluntary sector to the UK on 31st October 2024, highlighting the work done by smaller local charities and the need to support the work done by faith groups in local communities:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for bringing this timely debate to your Lordships’ House and I look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Porter.

I recently had the privilege of attending the North East Charity Awards. I wish I could highlight all the inspiring charities and individuals featured but, for the sake of time, I will limit myself to two. The North East Young Dads and Lads Project is a support service dedicated to helping young men and fathers play an active and meaningful role in the lives of their children and wider society. The project works with them to build a greater sense of self-worth and resilience, reducing social isolation and challenging negative perceptions. Smart Works Newcastle helps unemployed women with clothing and coaching into employment, transforming their lives. Some 69% of clients gain employment within one month. These are small, local north-east charities that understand the needs of their communities and make a tangible impact. It is so often the small charities with personal relationships that can most effectively bring about lasting change in people’s lives.

Bishop of Newcastle speaks in debate on treatment of religious minorities

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on treatment of religious minorities in South Asia on 28th October 2024, highlighting the treatment of these minorities in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the global responsibility to safeguard freedom of religion and belief:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, for securing this important debate. I also commend the work of my right reverend friend the Bishop of Winchester, who works tirelessly on the issue of freedom of religion or belief. He expresses his regret that he could not be here to contribute to today’s debate. It is an honour to follow the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, who ordained me as a deacon in Oxford nearly 20 years ago.

As outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, freedom of religion or belief is a foundational right. A denial of FORB is often a warning sign for challenges and human rights troubles to come. The UK must therefore continue to reaffirm its commitment to FORB, particularly concerning regions where increasing threats to this foundational right are present. South Asia is home to a rich mosaic of religions. However, the religious diversity in this region is being undermined, and I draw your Lordships’ attention to just two countries by way of illustration.

Bishop of Leicester encourages government to support interculturalism and welcome refugees, as demonstrated by the Ukraine scheme

On 25th October 2024, the Bishop of Leicester took part in a debate on the situation in Ukraine, promoting the use of the Ukraine scheme as a model to foster a sustainable way of welcoming all refugees and compassionately supporting their integration in the wider community:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, it is a sad truth that as wars go on, public attention often dissipates. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and other noble Lords for reminding us that while coverage of the war in Ukraine has waned, daily suffering there has not, so our moral responsibility continues.

While others have focused on this responsibility in terms of military support, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on another very important and positive aspect of our response to the war, in the hope that the new Government will build on its successes. As noble Lords will be aware, the Ukraine family scheme and the Ukraine sponsorship scheme, set up in March 2022, were two of the only legal routes for people seeking asylum in the UK. More than 200,000 visas were issued to Ukrainians, and thousands of families from across the political spectrum offered their homes to those fleeing the war.

Bishop of London emphasises more funding needed for hospices, palliative care and palliative care research

On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of London took part in a debate on state funding of hospices, emphasising that more funding is needed to prioritise and support hospices, palliative care and palliative care research:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I too thank the noble Lord, Lord Farmer, for introducing this debate. I declare my interests as outlined in register, particularly that I am patron of Hospiscare in Exeter.

I suspect there has never been a more important moment in time to discuss the funding of the hospice sector, which is facing extreme challenges. It is also important to remember that hospices deliver excellent care to a significant number of people who are dying well. However, according to Hospice UK, the sector is facing the worst financial crisis in more than 20 years.

Bishop of Lincoln urges government to support and fund special needs schools

On 24th October 2024, the Bishop of Lincoln took part in a debate on the contribution that special needs schools and specialist education colleges make to the education sector, urging the government to support and fund special needs schools and to consider facilitating the creation of Church-based specialist schools:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Baroness Monckton, for securing this debate and offer my admiration for her commitment and eloquence in this field.

I formerly served as the chair of the National Society, as the lead bishop for education. In that capacity, I was given a very wide view of the brilliant provision that is made where specialist schools and colleges exist. I can point to such a school in north Wiltshire where teachers were so dedicated they were prepared to face a 150-mile round trip every day to serve in that special place.

I am also the bishop for the L’Arche community in the UK. With the Church of England, L’Arche, as part of its vision, seeks to educate people to live well together in a community. That seems to me something that is—or should be—a special part of any school, not least our special schools.

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