Speeches – Page 77 – The Church of England in Parliament

Status of Workers Bill: Bishop of St Albans supports greater protection for workers

On 10th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Status of Workers Bill in its second reading. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in support of the bill, which would seek to introduce greater protection for workers classified as “contractors” in the gig economy:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Hendy, on tabling this Private Member’s Bill. It echoes the Judaeo-Christian teaching that workers deserve proper remuneration, and I support it.

I recognise that there are many advantages in having a flexible labour market which allows for individuals to tailor their work to their lifestyles. However, I and I know many others take issue with those times when employers curtail other people’s rights in an exploitative manor to reduce benefits costs. The Taylor review’s suggestion of replacing the category of working with a more positively defined “dependent contractor” was a positive step in preventing companies from unscrupulously categorising an employee as a worker while elevating the bogus self-employed into this category along with the increased rights it affords and the national insurance contributions that would accompany it.

Bishop of Gloucester raises issues of food poverty in debate on universal credit uplift

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the proposed removal of the universal credit uplift on 9th September 2021, with reference to the impact such a decision would have on levels of food poverty in the UK:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Tyler, for introducing this important debate, and I declare my interest as a trustee of Feeding Britain. I will focus my time on the impact that withdrawing the £20 uplift will have on food poverty. More than 500 anti-poverty workers, volunteers and supporters within the Feeding Britain network have signed a petition calling on the Government not to remove the increase, and that petition will be delivered to No. 10 in about an hour.

Bishop of Oxford speaks in debate on ethics and standards in public life

On 9th September 2021, the Bishop of Oxford spoke in a debate on ethics and standards in public life, emphasising the need for support, education and training in order to for those in public life to meet standards:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is a great privilege to take part in this debate and to follow the noble Lords who have spoken. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, for his leadership and introduction. I learned a great deal from the noble Lord while Bishop of Sheffield.

I suggest that improving standards in public life is a three-cornered stool. One leg of that stool is being neglected in the public conversation. It is right that we have the highest possible principles and standards. The Nolan principles have stood the test of time and I support their application to people and their extension to areas of technology. They are the first important leg. The second leg is the way in which we hold one another to account on those principles, which is where I guess that the majority of this debate will be focused. Others are better qualified to speak on this than me. Those ways need to be thorough and consistent with the Nolan principles.

There is an important third leg to this stool, which I want to call formation and support. How do we intentionally grow a community of diverse public servants who are ethically formed and equipped, and have the inner capacity to be honest, open, objective, accountable and selfless? How do we form boards and cultures which are able to work in those ways? They do not simply happen. How do we offer ongoing support and learning to those who exercise high public office and have to cope with greater and greater complexity, pressure and temptation?

Environment Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports amendments centering environmental impact

On 8th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the second day of the report stage. The Bishop of Oxford spoke in support of two amendments intended to ensure that future decision making in this area would have regard to environmental principles first and foremost, and a further amendment ensuring the independence of the Office for Environmental Protection:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I shall speak in favour of Amendments 19 and 20, and passionately so.

Many members of your Lordships’ House have spoken of the urgency of the crisis before us; just yesterday, the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch issued a powerful joint statement. They appealed to those with “far-reaching responsibilities”—including ourselves—to

“make short-term sacrifices to safeguard all our futures; become leaders in the transition to just and sustainable economies.”

There can be no exceptions.

Bishop of Durham asks about efforts to evacuate and relocate Afghan refugees

On 7th September 2021, during a debate on the situation in Afghanistan, the Bishop of Durham asked about the provision of commercial air services to evacuate people from the country, and support for local authorities in providing housing to incoming refugees:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, sometimes very unexpected conversations occur. On my journey down from the north-east this morning, I found myself spending two hours talking with someone who had done seven tours of service in Afghanistan and nearly 10 years’ service in security. It is painful to talk to someone who is showing you on their phone the photos of them in the cargo plane coming out and hear his story.

Armed Forces Bill: Bishop of St Albans highlights mental health issues affecting members of the armed forces

On 7th September 2021, the Armed Forces Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords. The Bishop of St Albans welcomed the bill, and spoke on the importance of recognising the high levels of mental health issues faced by members of the armed forces:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too want to pay tribute to our Armed Forces. In repaying their service, it is right, as the Armed Forces covenant states, that

“those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens”.

I welcome the provisions in the Bill enabling greater legal enforcement of the covenant in achieving this parity.

Environment Bill: Archbishop of York

On 6th September 2021, the House of Lords debated the Environment Bill in the first day of the report stage. The Archbishop of York spoke in the debate, supporting an amendment which would require the government to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency:

The Lord Archbishop of York: My Lords, in the Book of Common Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer says:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

in earth as in heaven.”

Archbishop of Canterbury urges that “morals, not numbers” guide UK refugee policy towards Afghans

During a meeting of the House of Lords on 18th August 2021 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan following withdrawal of international troops and the Taliban entering Kabul, the Archbishop of Canterbury paid tribute to the people of Afghanistan and urged that the government policy towards refugees be guided by morality rather than numbers:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I look forward especially to hearing noble and gallant Lords, diplomats and others with local knowledge of Afghanistan. We rightly remember the courage, suffering and sacrifice over the past 20 years and the courage being shown currently by our ambassador and service- people in Afghanistan, together with their colleagues, and reporters.

When we look back, I remember a cathedral full for the funeral of a soldier: family and many colleagues silent in dignity, some wounded, mourning their loss. The failure we face today is not military or diplomatic—they did all they could—it is political. Recovery and hope will come to Afghanistan with our supporting commitment to the neediest and most desperate. We have proven capacities in soft as well as hard power. We owe an absolute, lavishly generous moral covenant to all those who are at risk because they served with us in Afghanistan or took seriously our frequently professed commitment to its future, women and girls included.

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham speaks in favour of amendment to standardise funding for students with specific learning difficulties and disabilities

The Bishop of Durham spoke in favour of an amendment to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which would aim to remove discrepancies in funding offered to people with specific learning difficulties and disabilities in further education:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, as the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Leeds observed at Second Reading, colleges play a vital role in providing for students with specific learning difficulties and disabilities—the term widely used in further education as being broader than the “special educational needs” used elsewhere. This amendment seeks to address the discrepancy between the range and funding available to younger students with specific learning difficulties or disabilities, principally those in school settings or specialist institutions, and those applicable to students in FE. It seeks also to harmonise best practice across the FE and HE sectors, as the noble Lord, Lord Addington, outlined a few moments ago. It connects with the earlier Amendments 41 and 43 to 46, especially the requirement to review how well the education and training provided by an institution meet the needs of those with special educational needs in its area, and with Amendment 99, which places a specific duty on the Secretary of State to this end.

Skills and Post-16 Education Bill: Bishop of Durham tables amendment to specify long term funding plans for further education

On 21st July 2021, the Bishop of Durham tabled a probing amendment to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill which would require the government to set out a long term funding plan for further education:

The Lord Bishop of Durham:

90B: After Clause 25, insert the following new Clause—

“Long-term funding review

(1) The Secretary of State must commission a panel of experts to review of the long-term funding for skills and post-16 education.(2) The panel must consider and make recommendations about—(a) resources available for different types of technical training, further education and higher education; (b) support for disadvantaged students and those with special education needs;(c) the impact of this Act on the long-term funding for skills and post-16 education.(3) The panel must conclude their review and make a report to the Secretary of State with their findings and recommendations.(4) Within the period of one year beginning with the day on which this Act is passed, the Secretary of State must lay the panel’s report before Parliament.”Member’s explanatory statement

This is a probing amendment, intended to draw out the Government’s plans to introduce a longer-term funding settlement for FE, as called for by the Education Select Committee, prefigured in the White Paper and signalled, as the direction of travel by recent increases in core FE funding, capital funding allocations and the longer term Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

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