Canterbury – The Church of England in Parliament

Crime and Policing Bill: Archbishop of Canterbury speaks in debate on abortion law

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke during a debate on the proposed clause 208 of the Crime and Policing Bill on 18th March 2026, which would seek “to add the requirement of DPP consent for the institution of the criminal proceedings in Clause 208 against a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy and reduces the limitation period for the offence,”, opposing the clause and supporting amendments on the safeguarding of under-18s accessing abortion services:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, many noble Lords will know that the Church of England’s view on abortion is one of principled opposition, recognising that there can be limited conditions under which abortion may be preferable to any available alternatives. This is based on the belief of the infinite worth and value of every human life, however old or young, and including life not yet born. The infinite value of human life is a fundamental Christian principle that underpins much of our legal system and has shaped existing laws on abortion. All life is precious. We therefore need to recognise that women confronted with the very complex and difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy deserve our utmost understanding, care and practical support as they face what is often a heart-wrenching decision.

However, I cannot support Clause 208. Though its intention may not be to change the 24-week abortion limit, it undoubtedly risks eroding the safeguards and enforcement of those legal limits and, inadvertently, undermining the value of human life.

Votes: Crime and Policing Bill

On 18th March 2026, the House of Lords debated the Crime and Policing Bill, including amendments on protest, terrorism, and abortion. Bishops took part on votes on several amendments:

Archbishop of Canterbury introduced

On 5th February 2026, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had previously sat in the House of Lords as Bishop of London, was reintroduced to the House and took her seat on the Bishops Benches:

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Archbishop of Canterbury makes valedictory speech on the need for safe, stable, and affordable housing

On 5th December 2024, the Archbishop of Canterbury made his valedictory speech in the House of Lords during a debate on housing:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, it is often said and it is a cliché to say it—but hey, I am the Archbishop still—that if you want to make God laugh, make plans. On that basis, next year, I will be causing God more hilarity than anyone else for many years, because the plans for next year were very detailed and extensive. If you pity anyone, pity my poor diary secretary, who has seen weeks and months of work disappear in a puff of a resignation announcement.

The reality, which I wish to start with—then pay some thanks, and then talk about housing—is that there comes a time, if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility when the shame of what has gone wrong, whether one is personally responsible or not, must require a head to roll. There is only, in this case, one head that rolls well enough. I hope not literally: one of my predecessors in 1381, Simon of Sudbury, had his head cut off and the revolting peasants at the time then played football with it at the Tower of London. I do not know who won, but it certainly was not Simon of Sudbury.

The reality is that the safeguarding and care of children and vulnerable adults in the Church of England today is, thanks to tens of thousands of people across the Church, particularly in parishes, by parish safeguarding officers, a completely different picture from the past. However, when I look back at the last 50 or 60 years, not only through the eyes of the Makin report, however one takes one’s view of personal responsibility, it is clear that I had to stand down, and it is for that reason that I do so.

Next, I want to say thank you to so many people in the House. In these 12 years, I cannot think of a single moment when I have come in here and the hair on the back of my neck has not stood up at the privilege of being allowed to sit on these Benches. It has been an extraordinary period, and I have listened to so many debates of great wisdom, so many amendments to Bills that have improved them, so much hard work.

Archbishop of Canterbury asks about financial support for Ukraine’s resistance to Russian invasion and for the UK armed forces

The Archbishop of Canterbury asked a question on financial support for those battling the Russian invasion of Ukraine and for the UK’s own armed forces on 5th December 2024:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I have made two visits to Ukraine, one earlier this year, and many of my colleagues have visited as well. Having seen the very sharp deterioration in civilian morale, we know that external support from the NATO powers, particularly the United Kingdom, makes a significant difference. We are seeing the northern NATO countries not only giving verbal support but actively preparing for the risk of conflict in order to deter it. The situation on the ground will not wait for the SDR. What steps are the Government taking to indicate, by their actions as well as by their words, ahead of the SDR, that we are deeply committed financially to the support of Ukraine, not only by giving weapons but by renewing our Armed Forces?

Archbishop of Canterbury asks about conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The Archbishop of Canterbury received the following written answers on 18th November 2024:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury asked His Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding the release of ethnic Armenians held in detention following Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.

Archbishop of Canterbury speaks in debate on conflict in Sudan, urging long term view towards peacebuilding

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke in a debate on the situation in Sudan on 13th September 2024, urging the government to work towards peacebuilding and reconciliation in the region:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: I too am grateful to the Minister for arranging this debate, in which we are hearing extraordinary expertise—with some exceptions. In particular, there are former Ministers for Africa. We have heard from the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, who has had an extraordinarily distinguished career, and I look forward to hearing the speech of the noble Lord, Lord Bellingham. The speech given by the noble Lord, Lord Alton, was truly remarkable.

It is noticeable in what we have heard so far that the history of Sudan has been very present to us. I echo the words we have heard more than once: that this is not simply a conflict between two major power groups seeking power in Sudan. It is based in the fragility of a society that has seen war more than it has seen peace since Sudan became independent—both in what is now South Sudan and in Sudan itself.

King’s Speech Debates: Archbishop of Canterbury stresses importance of engaging with faith groups in international affairs

During the King’s Speech Debate on 25th July 2024, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave a speech on foreign affairs and international relations, emphasising the importance of engaging with faith groups:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, I join noble Lords in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, and the noble Baroness, Lady Anderson, on their appointments and on their party’s first King’s Speech. As a successor to the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, the noble Baroness has a very hard act to follow indeed, as I am sure the whole House will recognise. I also congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Goldie, on her remarkable meal, which, as I missed breakfast, may result in me leaving quickly to have lunch—but it will not be as good.

As others have indicated, we are living in unstable times. The Anglican Communion, in 165 countries, finds almost half our members facing conflict. Issues elsewhere in the world, however, do not confine themselves to affecting us in our international policy alone. We are recognised now by the United Nations as the most diverse nation on earth. That means that every single overseas conflict or disaster has a diaspora community here. To build a cohesive society here, domestic and foreign policy must work hand in glove.

Archbishop of Canterbury asks about measures to ensure financial stability of water companies

On 23rd July 2024, the Archbishop of Canterbury asked a question on over-return to shareholders in water companies and whether the government plans to put in place measures to prevent this, during a discussion on the financial resilience of England’s water industry:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: I join in congratulating the noble Baroness on her appointment. Picking up on the previous question, which is very much the point, is it not true that the shareholders of Thames Water and others have made extraordinary returns by financial engineering, well in excess of what one would expect to make from a utility, which should be low risk and low reward? In looking at the future structure, will the Government put in place measures to prevent the over-return to shareholders by means of financial engineering, and limit the upside so that utilities are run basically for their customers and not simply for the short-term gain of those who have them?

Votes: Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

On 6th March 2024, the House of Lords debated the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill in the final day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which bishops took part:

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