On 20th March 2025, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question he had tabled on the impact of reduced pharmacy opening hours:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the potential reduction in pharmacy opening hours.
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The Bishop of Leeds received the following written answer on 20th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Iraq; and what steps they are taking to support freedom of religion or belief in Iraq.
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The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on marking VJ day and the need to educate people on the dangers of atomic weapons on 20th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, can the Minister say a little more about VJ Day? Outside St Albans Cathedral is the peace obelisk given by the people of Japan because of the courageous witness of the then dean, Dean Thicknesse. Each year, on 6 August, we have an ecumenical act of witness and prayers there. What is being done specifically to educate people about the dreadful carnage caused by atomic bombs and how we can build today a world that does not need to use them in the future?
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On 19th March 2025, the Bishop of Norwich spoke in favour of amendments to the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill regarding support for families of service members:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, it is a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Shinkwin, and the reflections that he has offered the Committee. I rise to support Amendments 8 and 9. I am grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Minto, and the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, for outlining their thinking around this issue because it goes to the heart of how we as a nation care for and see the well-being of our Armed Forces and their families, as part of the whole package that we offer to them.
As I think noble Lords know, I speak as the father of a member of the Armed Forces. It is often said that a parent is only as happy as their least happy child. On one level, I can imagine that it is also true that a member of His Majesty’s Armed Forces is only as happy as their least happy family member. So there is a pastoral duty here—one that is supported by many in the Armed Forces, including welfare organisations and our military chaplains—but both these amendments would help us really state the pastoral support that we as a nation feel is important for not only our Armed Forces personnel but their children, their families and their dependants.
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The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Bill on 19th March 2025, welcoming the bill and its intended purpose of removing the prohibition on Roman Catholics serving as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble and learned Lords, Lord Wallace and Lord Hope. We on these Benches welcome this Bill and, as we have already heard, so does the Church of Scotland.
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The Bishop of London asked a question on prioritising front line patient care during times of transition on 19th March 2025, following a government statement on NHS England:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I declare my interest as indicated by the noble Baroness, in that I am a former government Chief Nursing Officer. Following on from the noble Lord’s point, this is a very significant change not just to the NHS but to its workforce. We know from looking back that when there is a reorganisation of the NHS, attention and funds are distracted away from the front line and patient care. The announcement came on the same day as the publication of the NHS staff survey results, which highlighted that only 31% felt that there were enough staff to enable them to do their job, and that 45% felt unwell due to work-related stress. What action will the Government take to make sure that there is not a management distraction, through this reorganisation, away from the front line and patient care in particular? How will staff be supported during this transition, not least those who, I suspect, fear that their jobs are now under threat?
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The Bishop of London asked a question on support for integrated care boards to enable VCSE involvement on 19th March 2025, during a discussion on barriers to safe housing and hospital discharge:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, the VCSE sector plays a critical role in discharge planning. The Minister may know of a project in Warrington, where a social prescribing link worker and the VCSE team are integrated into the discharge team, and are therefore able to support people on discharge. The pilot has been positive, not least in that it has reduced readmission into hospital. Could the Minister say what support the Government are giving to integrated care boards so that they can enable this type of innovative provision? Can she reassure us that the aspiration to cut the ICBs by 50% will not impact on that potential?
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The Bishop of London asked a question on the need to tackle root causes of ill health on 18th March 2025, following a government statement on welfare reform:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I welcome the Government’s focus on and increased investment in supporting people back into good work, and the proposed safeguards through the right to try guarantee. However, I am intrinsically wary of attempts to address the drivers of ill health through the social security system, rather than tackling root causes. We do not know yet the content of the NHS plan. Supporting people who are currently claiming incapacity benefits into work will put considerable pressure on an already stressed health system. What steps is the Minister’s department taking to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the right support is available for people with physical and mental health needs?
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The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the effects of the government’s sustainable farming initiative on food security on 18th March 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I do not know whether I have an interest to declare. I am not a farmer but the Church Commissioners, who pay my stipend and working costs, are one of the largest landowners of tenanted farms in the UK, so I declare that.
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about sustainable farming and food security”On 18th March 2025, the House of Lords debated the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:
The Church of England in Parliament 
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