Bishop of Southwark emphasises importance of meeting environmental targets

The Bishop of Southwark spoke in a debate on the affordability of the net-zero emissions target on 3rd April 2025, advocating for continued pursual of the 2050 goal of net-zero emissions:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, this is a timely debate. I am very glad to be able to speak in it. I am reminded that the preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes says:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven”,

including—I dare to mention in your Lordships’ House—a time to speak and a time to keep silence.

For the Church, increased costs have a material effect on what we can do, but I am as reluctant as anyone else to tilt at windmills or turbines. Not only the scientific consensus about human activity and climate but the dramatic changes of one’s lifetime—expanding deserts, retreating glaciers, rising sea temperature, extreme weather events—lead me to believe that this is a situation where the option is not “when”, or even “what”, but “how”. As with other great crises, we must shoulder the burden, and it is a challenge to our political leadership to share this task. In the Church of England, we have an exceptionally challenging target set by General Synod of achieving net zero by 2030. The national Church has ring-fenced £190 million to support its churches and clergy housing towards this goal.

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Bishop of Southwark speaks on value of treaties placing limits on use of landmines and cluster munitions

On 3rd April 2025, the Bishop of Southwark spoke in a debate on the withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty on anti-personnel landmines and the Convention on Cluster Munitions by several NATO allies:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Verdirame, for setting out this important matter so clearly and to other noble Lords for their very evident expertise in this area.

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Bishop of Hereford raises issue of morale among farmers and those in rural communities

The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a debate on the effects of the government’s economic measures on farming and rural communities on 3rd April 2025, noting the current low morale among farmers and urging the government to listen to their concerns:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, for introducing this important debate. I speak as the Bishop of the most rural diocese in the Church of England.

Agriculture provides significant employment and is extremely diverse, from substantial agribusinesses to small family farms, and from large arable enterprises to small livestock hill farms. Prior to ordination, I worked as an agronomist, advising farmers on all aspects of crop production, translating scientific research into the practical solutions commended by the noble Lord, Lord Carrington. I have the privilege this year of being president of the Three Counties Show at Malvern, an event I warmly commend to noble Lords as a splendid day out.

However, over 40 years of involvement in the sector, I can honestly say that I have never seen morale so low nor such disillusionment with the Government’s capacity to understand and respond to the needs of the agricultural industry. A thriving agri-farming industry is essential to the wider health of the rural economy. Family farms are at the heart of this ecology. The inevitable consolidation of units that will ensue from proposed changes in APR and BPR will have huge knock-on effects on support industries, lead to rural depopulation and undermine the viability of many local services and businesses.

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Bishop of St Albans emphasises potential of the rural economy and need for strategic thinking in rural affairs

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on the effects of the government’s economic measures on farming and rural communities on 3rd April 2025, raising the potential of the rural economy and the need for strategic policy towards rural affairs:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I too am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, for securing this debate and for his excellent opening speech. I declare my interests as president of the Rural Coalition and a vice-president of the Local Government Association.

I have already spoken in your Lordships’ House on changes to the agricultural property relief and business property relief, so my views are already recorded in Hansard. I lament the sudden closure of the sustainable farming incentive, and the reforms to compulsory purchase in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

If your Lordships’ House will indulge me, I want to focus on two associated areas which are pertinent to this whole debate. First, the rural economy has great potential to contribute to the economic growth that is needed. I think we all believe in this; it is just a matter of how we achieve it. Secondly, I will make a few comments about the almost complete lack of strategic rural policy or effective rural-proofing in government decision-making.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about progress on points raised in the Lammy Review

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on points raised in the Lammy Review on racial disparities in the criminal justice system on 3rd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, the independent Lammy Review of 2017, concerning the treatment of and outcomes for BAME individuals within the criminal justice system in England and Wales, identified disproportionate outcomes in a number of areas. I ask the Minister about two points raised in the final report relevant to the issue and whether there has been any progress. One was a lack of sophisticated data around ethnicity in the criminal justice system, and the second was that white suspects appearing in court were markedly more likely to plead guilty to an offence and thereby benefit from up to a one-third reduction in the sentence than was the case with BAME suspects.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about role of the BBC World Service in promoting accurate narratives on the world stage

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the work of the BBC World Service to advocate for a positive and accurate historical narrative on the global stage on 3rd April 2025, during a discussion on recent political conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, we are living in a very vulnerable time when false narratives are being spread and some are not being challenged. 

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Church Commissioners Questions: Project Spire, Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Lithium Mineral Rights, Eco Church Awards

On 3rd April 2025, in the House of Commons, Marsha De Cordova MP, on behalf of the Church Commissioners, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

Project Spire

Katie Lam MP (Con, Weald of Kent) asked: What recent discussions the Church Commissioners have had with the Charity Commission on Project Spire?

Marsha de Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church Commissioners are engaged in informal discussions with the Charity Commission to consider what regulatory approvals may be required to progress this project.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about gambling advertising

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 3rd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will develop a national definition of harmful gambling advertising.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about levels of air pollution in the UK

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 3rd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked  His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the UK complies with World Health Organization air quality guidelines for PM2.5 levels.

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Votes: Bus Services (No. 2) Bill

On 2nd April 2025, the House of Lords debated the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

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