Chelmsford – Page 3 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Chelmsford leads debate on British citizens held by Iran

The Bishop of Chelmsford led a debate on government progress in reducing the number of British citizens held by the Iranian regime on 27th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they are making to reduce the number of British citizens being held by the Iranian regime.

My Lords, I am grateful that time has been allocated to this debate and I look forward to the range of contributions, as well as to the Minister’s response.

I declare my personal interest in the subject. I come originally from Iran; I was born in the beautiful and historic city of Isfahan and I left as a teenager, with my family, following the impact of the Islamic revolution on the small Anglican Church community of which we were a part and, in particular, the attempt on my father’s life and the murder of my 24 year-old brother.

As I have said before in this Chamber, none of this has left me with ill will towards my homeland, but rather a profound sense of sadness at its current plight. I retain a deep love for Iran, its beauty and ancient civilization, and I have great respect for my fellow countryfolk, many of whom suffer in an increasingly intolerable situation or find themselves part of the growing diaspora community. I still hope one day to travel back to Iran, but for now this is not possible because of the current regime.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about access to breakfast clubs for children with special education needs and disabilities

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on ensuring children with special educational needs and disabilities can access school resources such as breakfast clubs on 27th February 2025, during following a government statement on school breakfast club provision:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, like many other noble Lords, I welcome this Statement. How will the Government ensure that breakfast clubs will be accessible to learners with special educational needs and disabilities who may usually be supported by one-to-one staff during the school day?

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about loss of family homes through HMO conversions

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on the high rate of conversion of family homes into houses of multiple occupation on 27th February 2025, during a discussion on affordable rented housing:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, one consequence of sustained high rents in the private sector is the conversion of family homes into HMOs. Are the Government monitoring this trend, and what action are they taking on the loss of family homes in this way?

Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025: Bishop of Chelmsford speaks in committee

On 25th February 2025, the Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at a committee debate on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, it is very good to be here today and I am glad to be able to contribute on this important subject. As we consider a proposed uprating of 1.7%, as compared with 6.8% last year and 10.1% the year before, I am mindful of the different backdrop to this year’s decision. We may no longer be in a period of soaring inflation, but costs remain high in just about every area of life. The discrepancy between the inflation rate from September 2024, by which most means-tested benefits will be uprated, and the current rate of 3% will be felt particularly by those who have not benefited from wage growth this year. This is a timely moment to explore social security as the Government set out their wider agenda in this area.

The manifesto commitments to review universal credit as a means of supporting people into work and addressing poverty and to produce a child poverty strategy could give us a basis on which to improve the lives of millions of people in our country. Indeed, bold action is required in both these areas and, like other noble Lords, I await the outcome of these reviews with keen interest.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about safeguarding victims of child criminal exploitation

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on introducing a legal definition of child criminal exploitation on 24th February 2025, during a discussion on county lines drug trafficking:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces new offences, which appear to have no connection to immigration, of possessing any specified article that might be used in connection with any serious offence. What safeguards does the Minister think need to be in that Bill to prevent the needless criminalisation of children? Does he agree that a legal definition of child criminal exploitation might help in that?

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about affordable housing in rural areas

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 24th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they intend to continue funding the work of rural housing enablers in facilitating affordable housing in rural areas.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about immigration casework

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 12th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what is their timeline for the full implementation of the ATLAS caseworking system; and whether they expect it to be fully operational in 2025.

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.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about immigration detention review

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 6th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 25 November (HL2389), in which he says that the Home Office review into immigration detention will not assess all areas of the Brook House Inquiry, whether they intend to review the recommendations in another review or assessment, and what would the timescale be for this work.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about changes to agricultural property relief

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 18th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many conversations the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had with farming sector representatives about changes to agricultural property relief prior to the change being announced.

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