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Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester speaks in support of amendments on community and voluntary groups

On 12th February 2025, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill. The Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Lord Murray of Blidworth aiming to provide further support for community and voluntary organisations under the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support the amendments of the noble Lord, Lord Murray of Blidworth, in this group. As the Bishop of Manchester, I have got something like 400 churches and church halls in my diocese, but these amendments go rather wider than that. For places of worship, there are already some grant schemes for protecting against terrorism, given the particular threat that places of worship, especially Muslim and Jewish places of worship, have traditionally faced.

Votes: Royal Albert Hall Bill

On 29th January 2025, the House of Lords debated the Royal Albert Hall Bill. Votes were held on an amendment to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:

Bishop of Manchester highlights importance of clarity on definitions of terrorism

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on definitions of terrorism on 29th January 2025, following a repeat of a Commons Urgent Question on the recent extremism review:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as co-chair of the national police ethics committee. In your Lordships’ House next week, we will begin Committee on the very important Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill. Would the Minister agree that this is a time when we have to be absolutely clear what we mean by terrorism, so that we in this House can give that Bill the clear, in-depth scrutiny it requires?

Bishop of Manchester asks about support for building energy efficient homes

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for housing associations in building energy efficient homes on 29th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of a housing association. Housing associations are a key provider of homes for those who can least afford high energy bills. What support will there be for housing associations when they are bidding for grants to subsidise the properties they are building? It does cost that bit extra, maybe £5,000 or £6,000 per home, to build to the standards that we need to.

Mental Health Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on culturally appropriate care

On 22nd January 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in support of amendments to the Mental Health Bill aiming to ensure culturally appropriate care in the mental health sector:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I support all the amendments in this group. I also want to communicate the support of my right reverend friend the Bishop of London, who apologises that she cannot be in her place this evening.

Turning to the amendments led by the noble Baroness, Lady Whitaker, on culturally appropriate care, I appreciated the noble Baroness’s references to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. I have worked with that community much over many years and very much enjoyed my interactions with it.

These amendments highlight issues that my right reverend friend has spent a lot of time considering, particularly from a faith perspective. I do not think we have heard that in the debate so far tonight. It is sometimes hard to grasp just how differently our health, especially our mental health, is culturally understood across different communities and faith groups. While our ability to discuss our own and others’ mental health may be generally improving—I think it is—it remains an extremely difficult discussion point for many cultures and many communities.

Bishop of Manchester responds to statement on Ukraine

The Bishop of Manchester responded to a government statement on Ukraine on 22nd January 2025, stressing the need for building community and civil society connections:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I hope the thin attendance tonight does not mean that we in the United Kingdom are losing interest in Ukraine, especially when I think of the huge number that gathered in Westminster Hall when President Zelensky came and spoke to us, and when many of us went across and sat in the Gallery in the other place when he spoke on a Zoom-type link in the early days of the conflict.

Bishop of Manchester asks about hospital services in Gaza

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for hospital services in Gaza on 22nd January 2025, during a discussion on the recent ceasefire in the conflict:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the United Society Partners in the Gospel, one of the oldest Anglican global mission agencies. One of our key partners is the al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza, a hospital that the people of that area rely on pretty well entirely now for any healthcare they can get. Most of the hospital has been destroyed—both the library and the historic church are now in use as wards. What assurances can the Minister give us about how we can get aid into the hospital, so that the people of northern Gaza, no matter how long the ceasefire lasts —I hope it will become permanent, but for the time being—will be able to get the medical help they need? Over 1,000 emergency patients are being admitted every day.

Bishop of Manchester urges re-funding of the Inter Faith Network

The Bishop of Manchester urged the government to consider re-funding the Inter Faith Network on 22nd January 2025, during a discussion on extremism and community engagement:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, a decision under the previous Government about a particular Islamic organisation being characterised as extremist led to the defunding and collapse of the national Inter Faith Network. I wonder if the Minister agrees that the Inter Faith Network provided a vital role in co-ordinating interfaith work at a national level. We do great things at local level, but we need some national work as well. Will he urge His Majesty’s Government to commit to refunding the Inter Faith Network?

Bishop of Manchester asks about right to protest and service operation

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on the balance between right to protest and ability to operate and access services on 21st January 2025, following a government statement on the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to ask questions on this Statement, particularly as the noble Lord, Lord Mann, who is sitting behind me, raised issues of anti-Semitism. In Manchester, where I live among a very large Jewish community, it is an ongoing issue that we are always very sensitive to.

We have heard a lot about free speech, which, unsurprisingly, I am in favour of, and of difficult conversations from the noble Lord, which, again, I am in favour of. But sometimes the language shades over into what can only be called mob intimidation. It is about how we make that distinction between a difficult conversation and people being intimidated by loud, vociferous, angry behaviour that seeks deliberately to make them uncomfortable.

Votes: Data (Use and Access) Bill

On 21st January 2025, the House of Lords debated the Data (Use and Access) Bill in the first day of the report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part.

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