Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendment on chalk stream protections

During a debate on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 27th October 2025, the Bishop of Norwich spoke to his amendment on the protection of chalk streams, which “would require a spatial development strategy to list chalk streams in the strategy area, outline measures to protect them from environmental harm, and impose responsibility on strategic planning authorities to protect and enhance chalk stream environments.”

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 94, and I thank the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard, and the noble Baroness, Lady Willis of Summertown, for their support. I am most grateful to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Grender, who has just spoken so powerfully about her amendment, as well as offering her support for this amendment. Amendment 94 would require a spatial development strategy to list chalk streams in the strategy area, outline measures to protect them from environmental harm and impose responsibility on strategic planning authorities to protect and enhance chalk stream environments.

Chalk streams, as we have heard, are a very special type of river. Some 85% of the world’s chalk streams are in England. They are fed primarily by spring water from the chalk aquifer, not rain, which means that they have clear, cold water and very stable flows. These globally rare habitats are found in a broad sweep from Yorkshire and the Lincolnshire Wolds through Norfolk, the Chilterns, Hampshire and Dorset. The Bure, Glaven, Wensum, Test, Itchen and Meon are river names that come to mind flowing, as they do, through the tapestry of English history and in our literature, such as the River Pang-based Wind in the Willows. They are rich in minerals, especially calcium, and this “base rich” environment supports a distinctive and rich ecology.

It is no wonder that this amendment and a similar one in the other place have received such positive support, including in your Lordships’ Committee. What it seeks to do is such an obvious thing, for what we love, we should desire to protect; what we value, we should safeguard; what is of global significance, we should be deeply proud of.

Continue reading “Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendment on chalk stream protections”

Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill: Bishop of Leicester expresses support for goals of bill from Bishops Benches

The Bishop of Leicester spoke at the second reading of the Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill on 24th October 2025, emphasising the strong support for the bill on the Bishops Benches and the need to ensure children in custody are treated with fairness and consideration:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I rise to speak in support of this Bill, at the encouragement of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Derby, who regrets that she cannot be in her place today.

Continue reading “Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill: Bishop of Leicester expresses support for goals of bill from Bishops Benches”

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Bishop of Leicester speaks at third reading

The Bishop of Leicester spoke at the third reading of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill on 23rd October 2025, querying whether the government minister would provide written confirmation of actions taken with regards to managing overpayments:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I support this Bill and add my thanks to all those who have engaged so thoroughly in its detail. It has been an important learning experience for me in the processes of your Lordships’ House, an experience that I hope I can bring to bear on other business in this place.

Continue reading “Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Bishop of Leicester speaks at third reading”

Bishop of Leicester asks about staffing levels in Jobcentres

The Bishop of Leicester tabled a question on staffing levels within Jobcentres on 23rd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the staffing levels within Job Centres.

Baroness Sherlock (Lab, DWP): My Lords, DWP monitors demand for jobcentre support on an ongoing basis and has well-established workforce planning systems to make sure that we have the right people in the right place at the right time. These systems help us to prioritise jobcentre activities where needed, protecting our most effective interventions and making sure that we maintain a constant focus on getting people into work, while remaining within funding limits and providing value for money.

Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester asks about staffing levels in Jobcentres”

Bishop of Portsmouth introduced

On 23rd October 2025, the Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev’d Jonathan Frost, was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat on the Bishops Benches as a Lord Spiritual.

Continue reading “Bishop of Portsmouth introduced”

Bishop of Winchester asks about freedom of religion provisions in trade agreements

The Bishop of Winchester received the following written answer on 23rd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Winchester asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure human rights provisions on freedom of religion or belief have been included in the Free Trade Agreement with India.

Continue reading “Bishop of Winchester asks about freedom of religion provisions in trade agreements”

Bishop of Leicester asks about support for faith communities addressing safeguarding concerns

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on government support for faith communities in addressing safeguarding concerns on 22nd October 2025, during a discussion on a Commons Urgent Question on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, the Church of England has in recent years been forced to face up to our own, significant failures in the areas of safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. We were far too slow to realise the devastating impact of safeguarding when it goes wrong, and we are even now struggling to put in place appropriate ways of ensuring accountability and of being led by survivors. Can the Minister therefore tell me what the Government are doing to support all faith communities in addressing safeguarding, to go beyond simply the requirements of the Charity Commission and to show that no group is above the law when it comes to safeguarding?

Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester asks about support for faith communities addressing safeguarding concerns”

Bishop of Norwich asks about support for Road Victims Trust

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on support for Road Victims Trust, a charity supporting families affected by drink-drivers and drug-drivers on 22nd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, the Road Victims Trust does very important work in supporting those families that are affected by drink-drivers and drug-drivers. It is a charity that relies mostly on public donations. What could the Minister do to encourage police and crime commissioners to support the work of the Road Victims Trust through their grant-making?

Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about support for Road Victims Trust”

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Bishop of Leicester supports amendments on protections for those in poverty

The Bishop of Leicester spoke in support of an amendment to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill which would provide protections for those in poverty regarding benefit overpayments on 21st October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I am pleased to have added my name to this amendment. As this is the first time that I have spoken at this stage, I want to thank the Ministers for their careful consideration of the concerns raised by noble Lords, as well as all those who have engaged with such diligence on this matter. For the record, this is an important Bill. Attempts to commit fraud will not stop as a result of this Bill—that will never be possible—but it will be far harder for those making these attempts, and that is absolutely right, as is the ability to recover overpayments.

The principles behind this amendment are fairness in the face of the various reasons for an overpayment being made, including error by the department, and affordability, ensuring that those already in poverty are not pushed further into it. Let us remember who will bear the brunt of these new powers: people who are reliant on benefits, which independent research suggests are already insufficient to meet people’s basic needs. With the requirement to pay off their debts via universal credit deductions of up to 15% of the standard allowance, there is a real risk that many will, I fear, be pushed even deeper into poverty.

Continue reading “Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Bishop of Leicester supports amendments on protections for those in poverty”

Votes: Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill

On 21st October 2025, the House of Lords debated the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which bishops took part:

Continue reading “Votes: Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill”