Leicester – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Leicester speaks in debate on humanitarian situation in Sudan

The Bishop of Leicester spoke during the Bishop of Leeds’ debate on the humanitarian situation in Sudan on 27th November 2025, focusing on efforts to fund local partners in Sudan working to combat the crisis:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: I am grateful to noble Lords for ignoring the request from my right reverend friend the Bishop of Leeds that this should not be a valedictory debate for him. His contribution to this House, and to the Church and nation more widely, has been immense. However, I sincerely hope that this House and His Majesty’s Government will not ignore the right reverend Prelate’s words regarding Sudan, something which is very dear to his heart.

I want to focus my comments on the funding of local partners in Sudan. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact, in its October 2025 report, found that the UK Government

“in many instances demonstrated credible political leadership and strong convening power, drawing on deep networks that are valued by stakeholders”.

Bishop of Leicester asks about impact of benefit sanctions

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 13th November 2025:

The Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact of benefit sanctions on (1) the mental health of claimants, (2) levels of household debt, and (3) food bank use.

Bishop of Leicester asks about important role of the BBC World Service

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on the important role of the BBC in providing trusted information through the BBC World Service Programme on 12th November 2025, during a discussion on recent changes in leadership at the BBC:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I have just returned from a visit to a country in west Africa that I know very well, and which has sadly suffered a number of coups in recent years. However, I can testify first-hand that the role of the BBC in such situations is highly regarded. In a situation where people do not know where to turn to find out what is happening around them, and where there are huge amounts of fear and anxiety, it is to the BBC that they turn to find out what is happening. I believe that remains true today, even in the face of mistakes that have been made. Can the Minister reassure us that the BBC will continue to have the people and resources needed to play this vital role internationally?

Bishop of Leicester asks about benefit sanctions

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 12th November 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of the effectiveness of benefit sanctions in supporting claimants into sustained employment.

Bishop of Leicester asks about free school meals

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 4th November 2025:

The Bishop of Leicester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address the under[1]registration of eligible children for free school meals following the extension of entitlement to all children in households receiving Universal Credit; and whether they plan to introduce free school meal auto-enrolment to ensure all eligible children receive the support to which they are entitled.

Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill: Bishop of Leicester expresses support for goals of bill from Bishops Benches

The Bishop of Leicester spoke at the second reading of the Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill on 24th October 2025, emphasising the strong support for the bill on the Bishops Benches and the need to ensure children in custody are treated with fairness and consideration:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I rise to speak in support of this Bill, at the encouragement of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Derby, who regrets that she cannot be in her place today.

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Bishop of Leicester speaks at third reading

The Bishop of Leicester spoke at the third reading of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill on 23rd October 2025, querying whether the government minister would provide written confirmation of actions taken with regards to managing overpayments:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I support this Bill and add my thanks to all those who have engaged so thoroughly in its detail. It has been an important learning experience for me in the processes of your Lordships’ House, an experience that I hope I can bring to bear on other business in this place.

Bishop of Leicester asks about staffing levels in Jobcentres

The Bishop of Leicester tabled a question on staffing levels within Jobcentres on 23rd October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the staffing levels within Job Centres.

Baroness Sherlock (Lab, DWP): My Lords, DWP monitors demand for jobcentre support on an ongoing basis and has well-established workforce planning systems to make sure that we have the right people in the right place at the right time. These systems help us to prioritise jobcentre activities where needed, protecting our most effective interventions and making sure that we maintain a constant focus on getting people into work, while remaining within funding limits and providing value for money.

Bishop of Leicester asks about support for faith communities addressing safeguarding concerns

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on government support for faith communities in addressing safeguarding concerns on 22nd October 2025, during a discussion on a Commons Urgent Question on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, the Church of England has in recent years been forced to face up to our own, significant failures in the areas of safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. We were far too slow to realise the devastating impact of safeguarding when it goes wrong, and we are even now struggling to put in place appropriate ways of ensuring accountability and of being led by survivors. Can the Minister therefore tell me what the Government are doing to support all faith communities in addressing safeguarding, to go beyond simply the requirements of the Charity Commission and to show that no group is above the law when it comes to safeguarding?

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill: Bishop of Leicester supports amendments on protections for those in poverty

The Bishop of Leicester spoke in support of an amendment to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill which would provide protections for those in poverty regarding benefit overpayments on 21st October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I am pleased to have added my name to this amendment. As this is the first time that I have spoken at this stage, I want to thank the Ministers for their careful consideration of the concerns raised by noble Lords, as well as all those who have engaged with such diligence on this matter. For the record, this is an important Bill. Attempts to commit fraud will not stop as a result of this Bill—that will never be possible—but it will be far harder for those making these attempts, and that is absolutely right, as is the ability to recover overpayments.

The principles behind this amendment are fairness in the face of the various reasons for an overpayment being made, including error by the department, and affordability, ensuring that those already in poverty are not pushed further into it. Let us remember who will bear the brunt of these new powers: people who are reliant on benefits, which independent research suggests are already insufficient to meet people’s basic needs. With the requirement to pay off their debts via universal credit deductions of up to 15% of the standard allowance, there is a real risk that many will, I fear, be pushed even deeper into poverty.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: