Great British Energy Bill: Bishop of Norwich supports amendments on community energy projects

The Bishop of Norwich spoke in support of a government amendment to the Great British Energy Bill which would stipulate that Great British Energy had scope for involvement in community energy projects on 11th February 2025, welcoming the amendment and highlighting the role churches might play in these projects:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I support the Government’s Amendment 8. It is good that the Government have introduced this amendment so that Great British Energy can facilitate, encourage and participate in local community energy projects. I pay tribute to the noble Earl, Lord Russell, for the work he has done on this, as well as a number of different campaigning organisations and other Members of your Lordships’ House. This is a very important amendment, and it will be a great help to a whole range of different community organisations.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about local government for rural areas

On 11th February 2025, the Bishop of St Albans asked a question on ensuring fairness for rural communities during local government reorganisation:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, to build on that question, there is a lot of concern in rural areas that where they are to be added to a large unitary authority which is dominated by an urban area, they might miss out. What will be put into the criteria to ensure that there is fairness of services in those rural areas?

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Votes: Great British Energy Bill

On 11th February, the House of Lords debated the Great British Energy Bill in the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of St Albans asks about role of beavers in restoring chalk streams

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the potential role of beavers in restoring England’s chalk streams.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about 4-day week productivity

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the productivity of businesses where employees work a permanent four-day working week.

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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.

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