Speeches – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Sentencing Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports amendments on greater independence

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke at a committee debate on the Sentencing Bill, advocating for greater independence in sentencing:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I will make a few brief comments; I am aware of time, and there is a lot to get through. I wholeheartedly agree with the remarks made by the noble Lord, Lord Marks, and I thank him for his kind comments.

When it comes to sentencing, I have believed for many years that we need more independence and not less. My own submission to David Gauke’s sentencing review focused on this, and, as has been said, followed the Justice Committee’s recommendations—I ought to underline that—in its own inquiry on public opinion and the understanding of sentencing.

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill: Bishop of Norwich urges action to protect marine environments

The Bishop of Norwich spoke at the second reading of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill on 2nd December 2025, supporting the legislation and urging the government to act to protect marine environments:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I plan to speak in favour of the Bill before your Lordships’ House at Second Reading, but first I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, on his maiden speech. My first recollection of Southampton was visiting the Royal Research Ship “Bransfield” before it departed for the Antarctic. As a 10 year-old, it was so exciting to explore that ship before it travelled to some of the harshest high seas on the planet.

The world’s oceans support biodiversity, regulate climate, store carbon, sustain global food webs, and provide critical genetic and biological resources. Protecting them is vital not only for ocean health but for the stability and well-being of the entire planet. I thus thank the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Whitehead, together with the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, for bringing this Bill and for seeking its speedy but well-scrutinised passage so that the UK can have a seat at the first Conference of the Parties to the UN BBNJ.

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on combatting child trafficking and improving safeguarding regulations

On 27th November 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which would expand the definition of exploitation under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to include children who have been recruited into residential care institutions that engage in orphanage trafficking:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I too support this amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Randall of Uxbridge. It is my privilege, as I travel around the world visiting Anglican provinces, often to visit orphanages and see some of the work they do. As noble Lords have already said, many of these children still have a living parent somewhere, but that parent, for whatever reason, no longer feels able or wishes to look after them, particularly if the mother has died in childbirth.

Bishop of Leicester speaks in debate on humanitarian situation in Sudan

The Bishop of Leicester spoke during the Bishop of Leeds’ debate on the humanitarian situation in Sudan on 27th November 2025, focusing on efforts to fund local partners in Sudan working to combat the crisis:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: I am grateful to noble Lords for ignoring the request from my right reverend friend the Bishop of Leeds that this should not be a valedictory debate for him. His contribution to this House, and to the Church and nation more widely, has been immense. However, I sincerely hope that this House and His Majesty’s Government will not ignore the right reverend Prelate’s words regarding Sudan, something which is very dear to his heart.

I want to focus my comments on the funding of local partners in Sudan. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact, in its October 2025 report, found that the UK Government

“in many instances demonstrated credible political leadership and strong convening power, drawing on deep networks that are valued by stakeholders”.

Sentencing Bill: Bishop of Leeds tables amendment on purpose of imprisonment

On 26th November 2025, the Bishop of Leeds spoke to the Bishop of Gloucester’s amendment to the Sentencing Bill, which would seek to give a statutory definition to the purpose of imprisonment:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 45A in the place of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Gloucester, who, regrettably, is not able to be here today. It seems that in wider society there is a greater push for harsher punishment and longer sentences, and there is a tension with what the purpose of such punishment is. This amendment is designed to provide some elucidation on that. It would define in law the purposes of imprisonment and require the courts and the Secretary of State to have regard to the purposes of imprisonment.

Bishop of Leicester asks about impact of benefit sanctions

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 25th November 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sherlock on 12 November (HL11411), why they continue to use benefit sanctions in the light of the finding of the draft report Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Employment Outcomes, published on 6 April 2024, that “a sanction leads the average claimant to exit less quickly into pay as you earn earnings and to earn less upon exiting.”

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendments on protection of chalk streams

The Bishop of Norwich tabled a further amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill focusing on the protection of chalk streams on 24th November 2025,, in response to Commons reasons/amendments to the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: At end insert “and do propose Amendment 38B in lieu—

38B: After Clause 52, insert the following new Clause—

“Chalk streams

(1) The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of the day on which this Act is passed, by regulations made by statutory instrument, provide guidance to strategic planning authorities on how they must, in delivering their planning functions, take into account the need to define, protect and enhance chalk stream habitats.

(2) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.””

My Lords, I am grateful for the strong support that my earlier Amendment 38 gained on Report. Chalk streams are globally rare habitats of which we have 85% in England. We simply must protect them and other irreplaceable habitats, because we have lost so much of this nation’s nature already.

I pay tribute to the Minister for her hard work on the Bill and for engaging with me, the noble Baronesses, Lady Grender and Lady Willis, and the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, together with Minister Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning. I know that the noble Baroness values chalk streams in her native Hertfordshire. I am grateful that she recognises the positive intent of this amendment, and I listened very carefully to the three commitments that she gave. But I am still concerned, even with those commitments.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill: Bishop of Chester gives maiden speech on stewardship and communities

The Bishop of Chester gave his maiden speech at the second reading of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill on 20th November 2025, emphasising the importance of sustainability and responsible stewardship of the earth, and the vital importance of air travel to communities:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their warm welcome, although I confess that sustainable aviation fuel was not a subject that I imagined I would be addressing when various noble Lords have given me advice about maiden speeches. I am grateful for their wisdom, warmth and welcome, and especially that of the doorkeepers and staff of this House. It seems that I should have taken them rather more literally when they said I would be working with high-flyers, and rather less literally when they pointed out that not everything was rocket science.

I speak as one born almost two and a half thousand miles from where we sit. Indeed, the first serious journey of my life was by air, back here to the UK. I am also a father and, like the rest of this noble House, entrusted with passing on entire to the next generation this good earth. Sustainability matters: the good Lord provided us with many things, but a spare planet was not among them, at least in this age. It is this balance of pragmatisms which means that I speak largely in support of the Bill. We need to be real about air travel being vital to modern life. It builds community, enables encounter and crosses divides.

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on tackling prejudice against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill at committee on 17th November 2025, opposing over policing of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and urging the government to tackle discrimination and prejudice against these communities:

My Lords, Manchester’s famous Christmas markets are now in full swing. If you’re visiting my city any time in the next few weeks, until the last few days before Christmas, you are most welcome to patronise them. However, that was not the case for a number of young people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds this time last year. They were turned away by police at the railway station on the supposition that they must have come to commit crime. Children were seen being forced on to trains heading to unknown destinations, separated from family members, and subjected to physical aggression. That included shoving, hair-pulling, and handcuffing. Several individuals reported officers making disparaging remarks about their ethnicity.

Sentencing Bill: Bishop of Gloucester questions lack of long-term planning in bill

On 12th November 2025, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke at the second reading of the Sentencing Bill, expressing concern at the lack of comprehensive long term planning in the legislation:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I declare an interest as Anglican bishop to His Majesty’s prisons in England and Wales. I, too, pay tribute to the late Baroness Newlove, not least in her role as Victims’ Commissioner. I want to echo so much of what the noble Lord, Lord Beith, and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Burnett, have just said, which has lifted my spirits.

There is much to welcome in this Bill. For example, as has been said, we know in general that short custodial sentences do more harm than good, so I am delighted that we are now seeing some evidence-based policy-making rather than policy shaped by media headlines. We also need to clarify our long-term vision and aims. As a Christian, I believe that every human being is made in the image of God and is created to live in interdependent relationship, and broken relationship sits at the heart of all brokenness. Strong relationship sits at the heart of all that is good and transformative. I thank the Minister for his introduction, but I am dismayed that we are setting the context of this Bill as overcrowded prisons and a current crisis. Surely our long-term vision and big picture is not simply about more prisons or even decent prisons, but ultimately about strengthening communities so that people flourish in a network of healthy and safe relationships.

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