On 19th March 2026, the Bishop of Chelmsford tabled a question on refugee movements following Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of refugee movements following Israeli military action against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about impact of conflict in the Middle East on refugee movements”
The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 19th March 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to prevent being drawn into offensive military action against Iran.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about conflict in Iran”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:
The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th March 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:
The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th March 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they plan for a proportion of their 1.5 million homes target to be met by bringing empty homes back into use.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about making housing available”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 16th March 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of labour shortages, planning and regulatory rules, and any viability challenges, on the delivery of their target to build 1.5 million homes.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about government housing targets”The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on the future of Iran on 2nd March 2026 following a government statement on US and Israeli strikes on the country and subsequent conflict in the Middle East:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, some of your Lordships will know of my personal interest in this topic, having experienced at first hand something of the brutality of the Iranian regime. While I certainly would not lament the end of that regime, I share the concern of those who express it that this war is neither legal nor necessary, and that peace is best secured by returning to the negotiating table—which incidentally seemed to be showing some signs of working. Does the noble Baroness agree that while the Islamic republic will certainly have been weakened by these strikes, the regime’s survival instinct is not to be underestimated? Does she agree that while Iranians must decide their own future, western Governments should be cautious about asking protesters to further degrade that regime’s capacity by protesting on the streets, when we know that the Iranian security service will likely use that as a pretext for intensified repression? A bloody descent into a Syrian-style civil war is in no one’s interest and is surely best avoided.
Continue reading “Bishop of Chelmsford asks about future of Iran”The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 12th February 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:
On 11th November, the House of Lords debated the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which bishops took part:
On 11th November 2025, the Bishop of Chelmsford The Bishop of Chelmsford tabled her amendment to the Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill which would “ensure the good character requirement is not applied contrary to the UK’s international legal obligations across a number of instruments. It also ensures that an assessment of good character may not take into account a person’s irregular entry or arrival to the UK if they were a child, and it may only be taken into account to the extent specified in guidance published and in force at the time of an adult’s irregular entry or arrival.”
The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I declare my interests as per the register. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord German, and the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for their support as signatories and for their guidance, especially as this is the first amendment that I have sponsored to a piece of legislation. My thanks go also to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for rightly explaining in my absence in Committee that I have tabled this amendment because I am passionate about the issues it raises: namely, how best to include, not preclude, those with a legal right to be here—those friends, neighbours and colleagues whom we live, work and worship alongside.
The Government’s change to the good character guidance, enacted through secondary legislation with retrospective implementation, in effect makes the “how” of a person’s travel to the UK a determining factor in their character assessment, not the “why” of the reason behind their travel in pursuit of sanctuary. This is a fundamental cultural shift and introduces a factor that bears no correlation to someone’s moral character, their worth and value or the contribution they might make to British society.
Continue reading “Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford tables amendment on ‘good character’ requirement”
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