The Church of England in Parliament

Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on training for volunteers

On 10th February 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill on provision of training for voluntary organisations to assist in their compliance with the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I will speak in favour of the amendments in this group, particularly that in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester. I have an interest to declare, in that I have 250 or 300 church buildings in my diocese that will come under the terms of the Bill when it is enacted.

Bishop of St Albans asks about barriers to cancer treatment

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on social, ethnic, and religious barriers preventing those in disadvantaged areas from seeking cancer treatment on 10th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, a year ago this very afternoon, this very moment, I was in a surgery having a radical prostatectomy. I pay tribute to Professor Vasdev and his amazing team at Lister Hospital for the exceptional treatment I received. He is one of many fabulous people working in our NHS. The discrepancies, though, of diagnosis and treatment are stark in different parts of the country. Having worked in some of the more disadvantaged areas in the past, I am acutely aware of those. What are His Majesty’s Government’s going to do, as the plan is developed, to ensure that we look at the religious, social and ethnic barriers which are stopping groups coming forward to receive diagnosis and treatment? Will they particularly focus on how we can address these to try to support those in the most disadvantaged parts of our country?

Bishop of St Albans asks about supply of aid and medical equipment to Gaza

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the issue of supplying aid and medical supplies to hospitals in Gaza on 10th February 2025, following a repeat of a Commons Statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: Reports coming out of the country show the desperate need to get not only aid but medical supplies there. I pay tribute to His Majesty’s Government for all that they have done so far, but the issue is how we get aid and medical supplies in. In particular, reports are coming out that the Anglican-run al-Ahli Hospital is in a desperate state. What else can His Majesty’s Government do to ensure that we get medicine and supplies in there and to other medical facilities?

Bishop of Oxford asks about improving public trust in artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on improving and building public trust in AI, during a discussion on introducing legislation for regulation of artificial intelligence on 10th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, according to the Government’s own recent survey, 43% of the public trust that the impact of AI will be positive, but 33% believe it will be negative. Given this very narrow gap and the critical importance of building trust in embracing new technologies, what specific steps are the Government planning to take to improve that public trust as they embed AI in the nation’s most trusted institutions, not least in the NHS?

Education (Assemblies) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford raises concerns on efficacy

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at the second reading of the Education (Assemblies) Bill on 7th February 2025, affirming the benefits of collective worship while expressing reservations on the efficacy of the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I warmly welcome this debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Burt, for her introduction, as well as the other noble Lords who have spoken. I look forward to the Minister’s response.

Although I understand the intention of the Bill, it may not surprise your Lordships to hear that I will express some reservations about the proposals and say that I believe the current legislation already affords sufficient flexibility. I suspect that I may well be a lone voice in the Chamber today. I was interested to hear the noble Baroness quote my esteemed friend, the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, formerly the Bishop of Oxford. Perhaps it is good to know that there are differences of opinion among Bishops in this House.

Collective worship is a vital part of school life. It is key to fostering a sense of fellowship and cohesion; to celebrating festivals, and not just Christian ones; and to strengthening religious literacy. Importantly, the current legislation already allows schools to tailor their provision to suit their pupils’ spiritual needs, and allows schools and academies to develop their ethos and values.

Mortgage Prisoners Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports legislation

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at the second reading of the Mortgage Prisoners Bill on 7th February 2025, supporting the bill and the introduction of a public inquiry into the circumstances of mortgage prisoners:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I want to begin with a confession: I did not know much about the scandal of mortgage prisoners until just a few weeks ago. It surprised me how long this has been left unresolved. I felt compelled to speak to the plight of mortgage prisoners because, when a group of people are marginalised and suffer due to institutional failures, it is important that they are not forgotten and that the injustice is put right. So I thank the noble Lord, Lord Sharkey, for bringing this legislation forward, and I am grateful to everyone who is contributing today. We may well be a small group in this debate but it is no less significant because of that.

Mortgage prisoners are trapped in a set of circumstances that afflicts their lives. Excessive interest payments on their mortgage, financial stress for their families, powerlessness to change their circumstances and their lack of choice compared to most borrowers—all in the context of the cost of living crisis—leave many struggling to afford their homes. This is also a crisis not of their own making. It is reasonable to believe that home ownership would lead to further stability, yet many mortgage prisoners face a perilous fate, with their hopes shattered and lives turned upside down.

Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of beaver reintroduction

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 7th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of a pair of beavers to the River Glaven in Norfolk in 2022 on (1) water pollution, and (2) flood risk.

Bishop of Norwich speaks in debate on lifelong learning

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on lifelong learning on 6th February 2025, highlighting the role of faith communities in the sector:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Knight, for bringing this debate and look forward in the spirit of lifelong learning to hearing other contributions this evening.

Lifelong learning is about social value, although we do not live to store up treasure just for ourselves. It is about economic value, although we do not live by bread alone. It is about personal value, although we do not live just for me but for the flourishing of others who are our neighbours. Faith communities play an important part in all these aspects of lifelong learning, through catechesis, engagement with social issues, basic skills training, youth work, volunteering and engagement with schools, FE colleges and universities. They are also crucially involved in spiritual value by fostering vocation and character.

Bishop of Norwich highlights need for cultural change among water company leadership

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on ensuring fines paid by water companies are used to repair damage to the sewage system on 6th February 2025, stressing the need for cultural change among water company leadership

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Grender, for securing this timely debate. It is a scourge on us all that sewage pollution is damaging so many of our watercourses and coastlines—damaging their ecosystems but also our enjoyment of them. I remember my first experience of such pollution when, as a young lad, I caught sticklebacks in my hands from the ditches around our Yorkshire village. One day, I went to my usual place of good stickleback hunting to find it putrid, with a storm drain leaking sewage and items—at the time, I did not understand what they were—floating in the ditch. The sticklebacks were gone for over a year.

Bishop of Chichester asks about protection of Christian communities in Syria

The Bishop of Chichester asked a question on the need to protect Christian communities in Syria during a discussion on the current transition period in the Syrian government on 6th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, Syria is home to some of the oldest and most significant Christian churches in the world, although Christians now number only 2.5% of Syria’s population. Although small in number, they see themselves as an integral part of the people of Syria and its identity. In view of this, will the Minister ensure that policy and statements about Syria robustly identify its Christian communities and history as an important part of its identity and life and in need of special protection, rather than simply being assimilated as Syrians defined as citizens of the state?

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