Employment Rights Bill: Bishop of Newcastle supports amendments on kinship care

The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in support of amendments to Employment Rights Bill tabled by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill on 13th May 2025, focusing on employment leave for foster and kinship carers:

The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for tabling Amendments 78 and 79, to which I have added my name in support. My comments will be brief. I add my voice to those of other noble Lords in the Chamber in appreciation of the debates that we have heard today on the detail of the Bill, which in many ways indicate the interrelatedness of the issues before us, and about what it is to live well together to enable the flourishing of every person throughout their whole lives.

I am very grateful to the Minister for her engagement with me over several months on the matter of kinship care, and I acknowledge the Government’s evolving view on how best to ensure consistent and sustainable support for kinship carers. I appreciate that the Minister is open to further conversations, and I look forward to them.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about ethical trade considerations in UK-India partnership

On 13th May 2025, the Bishop of Manchester asked a question on ethical trade considerations following a government statement on trade negotiations between the UK and India:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I too welcome both trade agreements in recent weeks and congratulate His Majesty’s Government on achieving them. I know that in my diocese in Manchester, the large Indian diaspora community will be working hard to help British exports where they have improved opportunities.

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Bishop of St Albans advocates for needs of rural communities in development planning for high streets and town centres

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on a report from the Built Environment Committee: High Streets: Life Beyond Retail? in grand committee on 13th May 2025, highlighting the needs of rural communities, the importance of an imaginative approach to developing town centres, and the benefits of finding everyday use for buildings:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Gascoigne, for securing this debate, for taking over as chair of the Built Environment Committee and for his excellent opening speech. I declare my interest as a vice-president of the LGA.

I saw the impact of a can-do council appointing a town centre development officer when I became archdeacon of Stoke some 30 years ago. He would not take no for an answer. When you saw him coming, you got out your tin hat and tried to hide, because he was absolutely determined to develop what became the cultural centre of Hanley. It was an extraordinary transformation. I left some 25 years ago, and I am sure that they need to continue to develop for whatever is required now, but I saw just what the impact of that kind of appointment could be. It was an impressive piece of work.

This report is timely and educational. It is so easy when talking about the decline of the high street to hark back to some golden past, because that is probably what we all remember from years ago. But we must not expect a prosperous high street in 20 years’ time to look the same as it did 20 years ago, and we must not try to revive some version of the high street as we used to know it. The day of the retail-dominated high street, as this report demonstrates, is at least partially over, with reportedly more than 13,000 high street stores having closed in 2024. We need to be creative, innovative and imaginative in our approach to the high streets of the future, as we pivot towards a greater mix of leisure activities, restaurants and public services in our high street offer.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about training and development for prison staff

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question improving training and development for prison staff on 13th May 2025, following a government statement on an assault against a prison guard at HMP Belmarsh:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: Prison staff work with a wide range of prisoners, from those who are the most violent to the many who are in prison for repeated low-level offending—many of whom have mental health issues and drug addictions—yet the training for prison staff is woefully short: a matter of weeks. I think that people would be shocked to hear how short that is. What is being done to expand that training and development so that staff not only feel valued but are equipped to deal with such a wide range of situations?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about support for community justice initiatives

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on support for community justice initiatives on 13th May 2025, during a discussion on improving the morale, recruitment and retention of police, prison, and probation officers:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, last week I observed the intensive supervision court in Birmingham, where women serving community orders for low-level offences are closely monitored by judges. Probation staff play a pivotal role. It is clear that the work is high and intense. What steps are the Government taking to urgently ensure that problem-solving courts have the best chance of succeeding—and, indeed, other creative community proposals that we hope will come out of the Independent Sentencing Review?

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Council of Nicaea

On 13th May 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:

Christianity: Anniversaries

Mark Pritchard MP (Con, The Wrekin): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England plans to take to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): In a paper for the February 2025 sitting of the General Synod of the Church of England, the Liturgical Commission wrote:

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Westminster Hall Debate: Impact of Churches and Religious Buildings on Communities

In Westminster Hall, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, hosted a joint debate with John Glen MP on the impact of churches and religious buildings in communities on 13th May 2025:

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): I beg to move,

That this House has considered the impact of churches and religious buildings on communities.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I am pleased to have secured this important and timely debate with the right hon. Member for Salisbury (John Glen). Today, I speak with two hats on, as the MP for Battersea and as the Second Church Estates Commissioner.

It is undeniable that churches and religious buildings have a positive impact on our communities in constituencies across the country, and I intend to show examples of this throughout my speech. Churches such as St Mary’s in Battersea do valuable work in their communities every day, and their contributions are often delivered at no cost to the state but with such a great return for the communities in which they serve. That is part of their vocation to serve—their desire to reflect the values of Jesus Christ through their faith, love, hospitality and service to their neighbours. I hope that this debate will allow us to recognise the incredible work of our local churches and other religious organisations.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about war graves in Gaza

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 13th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of damage caused by the conflict in Gaza to (1) the Gaza War Cemetery and, (2) the Deir El Balah War Cemetery.

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Votes: Data (Use and Access) Bill

On 12th May 2025, the House of Lords debated the Data (Use and Access) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about conditions at Doncaster Royal Infirmary

The Bishop of Sheffield tabled a question on the impact of the conditions at Doncaster Royal Infirmary on patient care on 12th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the conditions at Doncaster Royal Infirmary on patient care.

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