The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 13th October 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what action they will take in response to the report by the National Audit Office Managing children’s residential care, published on 12 September.
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The Bishop of Oxford received the following written answer on 21st July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Oxford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the cost implications of children who (1) remain longer in care, and (2) are returned to care, as a result of the changes made to the adoption and special guardianship support fund.
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The Bishop of Lincoln moved two amendments in place of the Bishop of Manchester on lifelong safeguarding for children in care during a debate on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on 19th June 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Lincoln:
146B: Clause 21, page 39, line 21, at end insert—
(e) to have due regard to the need to remove or minimise the disadvantages suffered by looked-after children and relevant young persons.”Member’s explanatory statement
The amendment seeks to expand and strengthen Clause 21 by replacing the light-touch duty to be “alert to” their needs with a stronger requirement for public bodies to have “due regard” to eliminating disadvantage and to take reasonable steps to mitigate any harmful effects of their policies. The amendment intends to create a legally enforceable, lifelong safeguard for anyone who has ever been in care.
My Lords, I move the amendments in the name of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Manchester. In relation to Amendment 146B, 120 councils around the country have already committed themselves voluntarily to embrace the “due regard” implementation, but this amendment intends to create a legally enforceable, legislative and lifelong safeguard across government for anyone who has ever been in care.
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On 17th June 2025, the House of Lords debated the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the bill that would ensure safeguards and limits on deprivation of liberty for children:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I have added my name to a number of the amendments in this group; I could probably have added it to all of them. Like other noble Lords, I am very grateful for the work of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory, which has been quoted several times. I am ignoring all the careful facts and figures I had prepared for this evening, because most of them have already been given by other noble Lords, and it is a principle here that we do not repeat what has already been said. Rather, I would like to speak to the broad principles and the moral case, and to be brief.
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The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in support of amendments to Employment Rights Bill tabled by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill on 13th May 2025, focusing on employment leave for foster and kinship carers:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for tabling Amendments 78 and 79, to which I have added my name in support. My comments will be brief. I add my voice to those of other noble Lords in the Chamber in appreciation of the debates that we have heard today on the detail of the Bill, which in many ways indicate the interrelatedness of the issues before us, and about what it is to live well together to enable the flourishing of every person throughout their whole lives.
I am very grateful to the Minister for her engagement with me over several months on the matter of kinship care, and I acknowledge the Government’s evolving view on how best to ensure consistent and sustainable support for kinship carers. I appreciate that the Minister is open to further conversations, and I look forward to them.
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The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham received the following written answer on 2nd December 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation in the report The Voices of Supported Lodgings: Strong foundations for our future, published by Homes for Good and Safe Families on 16 October, that the Government should introduce a ‘supported lodgings lead’ within every regional care co-operative with responsibility for supported lodgings provision.
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The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on support for children’s homes in the north of England on 28th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, at the last count in March 2023, 41% of children’s homes in England were located in the north of England. What steps are the Government taking to provide additional support to areas of the country where there is a disproportionately higher number of children in the care home and care system?
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The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 21st October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to develop the Children’s Social Care National Framework and outcomes further to include the voice of children and young people.
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The Bishop of Newcastle received the following written answer on 24th May 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase investment in children’s services and provide updated funding formulae to (1) direct resources according to deprivation-based need, and (2) account for changing levels of deprivation.
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The Bishop of Manchester tabled a question on the potential benefits of bringing the rate of Universal Credit for care leavers under 25 in line with the rate for over-25s on 13th May 2024:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of bringing the rate of Universal Credit for care leavers under 25 in line with the rate for over-25s.
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