Hereford – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Hereford takes part in debate on regulation of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a Grand Committee debate on the possibility of a cross-sector AI regulation bill on 4th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, on securing this debate. Given the pace of AI development, it could not be more timely. As Pope Leo said in his recent encyclical:

“Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible”.

Bishop of Hereford asks about impact of AI on jobs

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on impact of AI in the job market on 4th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I want to ask the Minister about the issue of AI in this context. I speak with some personal experience, in that my son’s partner has recently been made redundant as the result of an AI system that she herself developed. It is inevitable that AI systems will grow, unchecked and unregulated, and will continue to reduce entry-level jobs across a range of sectors. What projections have the Government made of this, and what action do they plan to take to ensure that a healthy entry-level job market will remain for young people?

Votes: Pension Schemes Bill

On 19th March 2026, the House of Lords debated the Pension Schemes Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Pension Schemes Bill: Bishop of Hereford supports amendments on trust management

On 19th March 2026, the Bishop of Hereford spoke in support of an amendment to the Pension Schemes Bill tabled by Baroness Noakes on allowing Master Trusts which deliver good investment performance to be excluded from the scale requirements of the bill, raising the example of faith-based funds:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I speak in favour of Amendment 55, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes. There is a questionable theory of change in the Bill—that bigger pension schemes are necessarily better, suggesting the minimum scale of £25 billion. While scale certainly creates advantages, Australian experience suggests that funds can be run at less than this size and still provide value and good outcomes for members. However, concentrating the market into a few megafunds introduces a new system of risk, of schemes that become too big to fail and so are effectively the state’s problem.

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:

Bishop of Hereford asks about improving animal welfare in livestock slaughter

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on promoting dialogue with religious communities to encourage ethical slaughter methods, during a discussion on animal welfare on 12th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, we would all like to see the minimising of pain and distress to animals prior to slaughter, yet currently a substantial number of animals are slaughtered without prior stunning due to a derogation within domestic legislation, even though, as I understand it from speaking to a large halal slaughter house in my diocese, such stunning is acceptable within Islam. Will His Majesty’s Government work actively with our Jewish and Muslim friends to understand their religious needs and support the development of acceptable stunning methods and improve their uptake within those communities?

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Bishop of Hereford highlights importance of nuanced understanding of artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Hereford spoke during a committee debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 30th January 2026, pointing out a distinction between AI tools and artificial intelligence generally in regards to an amendment proposed by Baroness Coffey, which would stipulate that “(4) Artificial intelligence must not be used to carry out any functions in any section or schedule of this Act.”

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, for raising a very important issue in this amendment. However, I am concerned that, as it stands, as the noble Baroness said, this amendment is too blunt an instrument. It is important that we distinguish between AI tools and the more dangerous artificial general intelligence, or superintelligence. The use of AI in medical diagnostics in patient care is already commonplace. AI tools are currently used to read scans and X-rays and will frequently perform as well as, if not better than, clinicians. To exclude the use of AI altogether might deprive patients who are considering assisted dying of valuable diagnostic assistance and care at a very vulnerable time.

Bishop of Hereford speaks in debate on establishing moratorium on super-intelligent AI

The Bishop of Hereford spoke in a debate on proposals for an international moratorium on the development of superintelligent AI on 29th January 2026, highlighting the importance of tempering “intelligence” with love and human collaboration, and urging the government to support a moratorium:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, it is appropriate that this debate happens the day after the Church celebrated the life and work of the great divine Thomas Aquinas, one of the founding intellectual fathers of western thought, because this debate cuts to the very heart of how we understand ourselves.

Our debate is about the regulation of superintelligence. We know that intelligence is simply

“the ability to learn, understand and think in a logical way about things; the ability to do this well”.

Bishop of Hereford asks about financial impact of 2025 budget on music performances in churches

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on the role of churches as music and performance venues, during a discussion on the impact of the 2025 budget on grassroots music venues on 26th January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I thank the Minister for his answers. Across the country, churches provide the largest network of performance spaces available to professional and amateur groups for music making and other artistic endeavours, so I thank him for the recent announcement regarding the new places of worship renewal fund. But I am sure he will be aware that there are thousands of churches and other faith communities across the country waiting to know how that scheme will operate. Will the Minister let us know when the details of the scheme will be published and whether the Government will work with us to ensure the scheme is workable, consistent and fair, especially in the levying of VAT?

Lord Livermore (Lab, Treasury): I am grateful for the support that the right reverend Prelate set out in his question. I assure him that that will be responded to very shortly.

Hansard

Bishop of Hereford asks about digital connectivity in rural areas

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on ensuring digital connectivity in rural areas during a discussion on online communications in healthcare on 2nd December 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, the passion displayed in this House for digital inclusion is extraordinarily commendable, but these difficulties are compounded in rural areas by very poor connectivity. Many areas endure significant restrictions in broadband and mobile connectivity, which compounds the problems. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that good connectivity is rolled out across the whole country?

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