The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Derby asks about tackling homelessness

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on support for those leaving prison and at risk of becoming homeless on 30th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, this feels very close to home. The BBC recently reported that the number of people who spent at least one night sleeping rough in Derby in 2024 was 63% higher than in 2023. In the Government’s annual rough sleeping snapshot, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that 10% of everyone sleeping rough across the UK had left institutions such as prison. I welcome the announcement that councils across England will receive £1 billion of funding to reduce and prevent homelessness. As the Bishop with particular responsibility for youth offenders, I ask the Minister how her department intends to work with councils to ensure that sufficient investment is appropriately and effectively allocated specifically to support young adults who are leaving prison.

Bishop of Gloucester asks about contact systems in young offenders institutions

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 30th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the relative impact of providing (1) a PIN telephone system, and (2) in-cell telephones, on the number of calls prisoners and young offenders make to (a) family members, (b) support workers, and (c) others in the community.

Bishop of St Albans asks about treatment of bipolar disorder

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 30th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve treatment of people with bipolar disorder.

Baroness Merron (Lab, DHSC): It is unacceptable that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for people with bipolar disorder. We are determined to change that.

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Religious Practice, Bishop of Winchester

On 29th April 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Christianity: Religious Practice

Neil O’Brien (Con, Harborough, Oadby and Wigston): To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how many confirmations there were in each year since 1994.

Bishop of Leeds asks about role of the US in the future of Ukraine

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the role of the United States in the future of Ukraine on 28th April 2025, following a government statement on the progress of peace talks in London:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, that position is very honourable, but the Minister said a moment ago that Russia should not determine the future of Ukraine. Should the United States?

Bishop of Leeds asks about conflict in Sudan

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the government’s approach to the economic benefits to the warring parties in the conflict in Sudan on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, there was much mention at the conference, given the statements that came out of it, of a rejection of external interference, but there were people there who are externally interfering, such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Although the focus on humanitarian access is absolutely right, there is also the problem of gold, and that the conflict is being fuelled by the economic element of ownership and extraction of gold. Do the Government have any plans to approach the economic benefits to the warring parties as a way of stopping the conflict?

Bishop of Derby asks about self-harm among girls in youth custody

The Bishop of Derby asked a question on incidences of self-harm among girls in youth custody, during a discussion on levels of self-harm in young people on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, last month, Susannah Hancock, a member of the Youth Justice Board, published her independent review into placement for girls in custody. Many of the professionals that she consulted through that review identified self-harm by girls in secure settings as one of the biggest areas of concern. In the 12 months to September 2024, 55% of all self-harm incidents in the youth custody service involved girls, although they make up only 1.6% of the total average population in these settings. Can the Minister assure me that her department intends to collaborate with the MoJ to act on the report’s partnership recommendation to ensure greater consistency of good practice in responding to girls in custody who self-harm, including developing clear and consistent protocols on whether and how restraint is used, in order to prevent further traumatisation?

Bishop of Sheffield asks about education on UK role in the creation of the council of Europe

The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to introduce material into the National Curriculum regarding the role of the United Kingdom in the creation of Council of Europe.

Bishop of Leicester asks about impact of reforms to disability benefits

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of reforms to incapacity and disability benefits on the employment rate of people with disabilities; and what plans they have to evaluate and monitor the impact of these reforms once they have been introduced.

Bishop of Oxford takes part in debate responding to report on the future of news

On 25th April 2025 the Bishop of Oxford spoke in a debate on the future of news, on support for local news, development of a public interest generative AI tool, and building media literacy throughout the population. The report being debated was produced by the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, on which the Bishop of Leeds serves as a member:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I welcome this timely report and this debate. The themes of the report—ethics, truth, access and trust—are of vital importance to the Lords spiritual, as I know they are to all Members of your Lordships’ House. My right reverend friend the Bishop of Leeds was part of the committee that produced this report, and he sends his apologies that he is unable to be in the Chamber today. I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Pack, on his fascinating maiden speech on email newsletters and new forms of communication, and I welcome him very warmly from these Benches to this House.

I have had an interesting response to the report, as I have read it today, and it has really been appreciative of the wonder of living in an age in which, at any hour of the day or night, it is possible to learn what is happening anywhere in the world. I think that is amazing. We are able to access unfolding events, combined with thoughtful commentary and analysis. This week, the world has rightly been paying tribute to Pope Francis, following his death on Monday, for his humility, humanity and courage. Within minutes of the Pope’s death on Monday, we had not only the news that he had, sadly, died but appreciations of his life, comments from world leaders, analysis of his many achievements and a sense of one single news story across the world. The same is true day by day, minute by minute. This report has helped me see afresh the living miracle of the 21st century news environment. So I join others in paying tribute to the media reporters and technicians who devote their lives to public service and good journalism.

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