Tag: House of Lords

Bishop of Gloucester pays tribute to the late Lord Judge

On 9th November 2023, the Bishop of Gloucester took part in tributes to the late Lord Ivor Judge, who had recently passed away:

My Lords, these Benches echo all that has been said so movingly about this remarkable and learned man, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge. As has been expressed, I and others felt a deep sadness on hearing the news of his death.

On behalf of these Benches, I have stood and given tributes on a number of occasions and, each time, very poignantly for me, I followed Lord Judge. He was wise, kind, humble, gracious and, as has been said, he always had a twinkle in his eye. His life was one of devoted public service to the greater good, be it in the law or the courts, as President of the Queen’s Bench Division and later as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, or as a Member of this House. He was a source of wisdom to me personally in my role as Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons. He would always greet me in the corridors with Shakespearean references to Gloucester. I will personally miss him.

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House of Lords debates role of religion in schools

On 17th July 2o23, the House of Lords debated a question asked by Baroness Burt of Solihull on the recommendation by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child that the United Kingdom should prevent the use of religion as a selection criterion for school admissions in England. Church of England schools were discussed during the debate:

Baroness Burt of Solihull (LD): To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s recommendation that the United Kingdom should prevent the use of religion as a selection criterion for school admissions in England.

Baroness Barran (Con): My Lords, the UK is a proud signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, the Government support faith schools’ ability to set faith-based oversubscription criteria. This allows parents to have their children educated in line with their religious beliefs. Faith schools can give priority to applicants on the basis of faith only when they are oversubscribed. Where places are available, they must admit all children who apply.

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House of Commons Debate: Bishops in the House of Lords

On 6th July 2023, a debate was held in the House of Commons on the motion That this House has considered the matter of bishops in the House of Lords, organised by the All-Party-Parliamentary Humanist Group. Andrew Selous MP, the second Church Estates Commissioner, spoke in the debate:

Tommy Shepherd MSP (SNP, Edinburgh East): I beg to move,

That this House has considered the matter of bishops in the House of Lords.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Davies. Some people, perhaps including members of my party, might wonder why a member of the SNP has secured a debate on the House of Lords, so I want to make it clear from the outset that my principal role here today is as co-chair of the all-party parliamentary humanist group, which comprises more than 150 Members of both Houses and has representatives from all the main political parties. I moved the motion in that capacity.

Aaron Bell MP (Con, Newcastle-under-Lyme): As secretary of the same group, I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this debate, which is not only overdue, but timely: as he knows, yesterday in the Lords, there were amendments to the Government’s legislation. I suspect he agrees with the principle of those amendments—he and I differ on that—and he probably agrees with me that the archbishop who tabled them is a very distinguished Member of that House, but does he share my sense of unease about somebody who has not been elected or appointed, and who is merely in the Lords in his capacity as a bishop, potentially changing the law of this country?

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Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2023: Bishop of Manchester supports motion to regret

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of a motion to regret moved by Lord Shipley (on behalf of Baroness Thornhill) on 22nd March 2023:

‘That this House regrets that the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2023 will freeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) at the levels applied in April 2020 and therefore fails to account for inflationary increases in rent, resulting in vulnerable claimants spending a greater proportion of income on rent; further recognises that His Majesty’s Government’s inability to control inflation has resulted in unaffordable rents and contributed to housing insecurity for all tenants; and calls on His Majesty’s Government to align LHA with local housing rates.’

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am very pleased to take part in this short debate. I would like to add my support to the Motion proposed by the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, and along with others wish her a speedy recovery. I am grateful for the impressive way in which the noble Lord, Lord Shipley, took this on at very short notice.

I declare my interest as set out in the register, I am the owner of one apartment, in Birmingham, currently privately let. I echo the concerns of other noble Lords. I had intended to add further statistics—I am a mathematician by background—but I think noble Lords have had enough numbers in this short debate already.

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Bishop of Sheffield introduced

On 14th March 2023, the Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat on the Bishops Benches as a Lord Spiritual.

Hansard records that:

Peter Jonathan, Lord Bishop of Sheffield, was introduced and took the oath, supported by the Bishop of Worcester and the Bishop of Guildford, and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct.

Bishop of St Albans pays tribute to House of Lords staff and those who have left the House

On 20th December 2022, the Bishop of St Albans paid tribute to the House of Lords staff, and to those who had retired and left the house this year:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I will not detain the House for long but, on behalf of the Lords spiritual, we thank all those extraordinary staff who, through their dedication, have served us so well. I am thinking of the clerks, the doorkeepers, and the catering, security and domestic staff. We really could not function without them and the extraordinary level of professionalism and dedication that they bring.

I will not go through a list of people, although I highlight—because she was a huge help to me— Philippa Tudor and her extraordinary competence and professionalism. We on these Benches also extend our best wishes to the family and friends of Lee Barnes. We offer all those who have been mentioned today our best wishes as they move either into retirement or on to new challenges, and we wish them a very happy Christmas.

Hansard

Bishop of Leicester introduced

On 8th November 2022, the Bishop of Leicester, Rt Revd Martyn Snow, was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat on the Bishops Benches as a Lord Spiritual.

The Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Leicester and the Bishop of St Albans

Hansard records that:

2.37pm

Martyn James, Lord Bishop of Leicester, was introduced and took the oath, supported by the Bishop of Durham and the Bishop of St Albans, and signed an undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct.

Bishop of Oxford speaks about ministerial changes

On 7th September 2022, the House of Lords discussed the recent ministerial changes, with particular reference to the new Leader of the House of Lords, Lord True, and the outgoing Leader, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park. The Bishop of Oxford made the following speech:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is a joy to listen to these tributes. I associate myself with them and, on behalf of the Lords spiritual, add our thanks and appreciation to the noble Baroness for her service over this last six years. It is a happy thing that so many of my colleagues are also here to join in that tribute. It has been my privilege to serve in this House through the whole of the noble Baroness’s tenure. I believe that she has brought the gifts of stability and acuity to her leadership and that the House has functioned well in that time. So far as I can judge, she has increased the respect in which this House is held in the wider nation and country.

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Votes: Sitting Times

On 5th July 2022, the House of Lords considered a motion regarding the sitting times of the house. A vote was held on an amendment, in which Bishops took part:

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Bishop of London asks about the location of the House of Lords

The Bishop of London asked a question on the Restoration and Renewal Programme (concerning the location of the House of Lords) on 16th May 2022:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, can the Minister reassure both this House and the public that a full cost-benefit analysis is being undertaken to ensure the good and proper use of public funds?

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