manchester – Page 8 – The Church of England in Parliament

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.

Bishop of Manchester asks about warm welcome campaign

The Bishop of Manchester asked about the role of places of worship in taking part in the warm welcome campaign on 21st January 2025, following a government statement on health and social care in winter:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, the nurse who was attacked and injured at work recently and who has been kindly mentioned several times already today is a member of one of our Oldham congregations. I assure your Lordships’ House that she and her family remain very much in our prayers in Manchester.

Research by the National Churches Trust published last year shows that the ministry of the UK’s church buildings saves the NHS £8.4 billion every year. Church projects help keep many people out of hospital; they support others when discharged. Other faith communities do similar work and many of them do it in partnership with us.

Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill: Bishop of Manchester introduces private member’s bill

The Bishop of Manchester’s private members bill, the Universal Credit (Standard Allowance Entitlement of Care Leavers) Bill, had its second reading on 17th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, care leavers under the age of 25 who are claiming universal credit receive the same rate as their peers, who are far more likely to be able to access support from their parents. That means that young people under 25 receive £81.77 less in universal credit per month compared to those over 25—a 21% reduction. This Bill would complement proposals by providing increased financial support for care leavers currently living on the lowest incomes. It would mean that care leavers claiming universal credit would see their monthly payment increase to a total of £393.45. That monthly figure is not dissimilar to the daily allowance that Members of your Lordships’ House can claim; it is not a huge sum to live on.

I thank those who have made time to participate in this debate on a Friday—not least the Minister and shadow Minister, with whom we had constructive conversations in advance—and the group of care-experienced young people, facilitated by the charity Become, who were very generous with their time and shared some extremely perceptive insights with me and my right reverend friend the Bishop of Derby about the differences that this policy change would make to their lives. They have agreed that we can name them in our speeches today.

There are over 92,000 care leavers in England under the age of 25. This cohort of young adults is in particular need of further support, including through the social security system. This Bill would equalise the standard allowance for universal credit for care leavers under the age of 25, but that is just one of a number of steps that could be made to ensure that young care leavers receive the support they need to flourish. I hope that, in this debate, there will be an opportunity for noble Lords to explore those, and perhaps other, steps and for us to commit ourselves to supporting young adults leaving care.

Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Bishop of Manchester raises need for training and resources for faith and voluntary groups

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on the second reading of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill on 7th January 2025, referencing his experiences leading the diocese in the aftermath of the Manchester arena bombing in 2017 and the need for access to training and resources for faith and voluntary sector groups to comply with the requirements of the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as a bishop whose diocese includes around 300 places of worship, most of which will find that this Bill directly applies to them, I have, along with my right reverend friends on these Benches, a very obvious interest to declare. But as the Bishop of Manchester, I have a more specific reason for wanting to see this Bill reach the statute book. Martyn Hett, whose name is immortalised in the informal title by which we know this Bill, was killed some three minutes’ walk from my cathedral. We are all grateful for the persistence of his mother, Figen, over these last seven years, and for achieving the degree of cross-party consensus that has brought us to this point today.

Bishop of Manchester asks about support for civil society organisations

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on ongoing support for voluntary civil society organisations providing stress support for communities on 3rd December 2024, following a government statement on anti-social behaviour:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest as the co-chair of the national ethics committee of the National Police Chiefs’ Council. However, it is more in my role as Bishop of Manchester that I am speaking now. I get to go out from time to time at night with Street Angels or Street Pastors groups, as they are sometimes called. Many of these originated in the churches, but they are not exclusively church-based organisations. They provide gentle support on the streets, often late at night in city and town centres, helping to keep the peace. They help to deal with people who have become distressed—perhaps somebody who has had too much to drink and is either not safe themselves or cannot keep those around them safe.

Bishop of Manchester asks about role of faith leaders in tackling climate change

On 21st November 2024, the Bishop of Manchester asked a question on government commitment to working with faith leaders to tackle the climate emergency:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, last year I took a group of leaders from different faiths in Greater Manchester, along with civic leaders, to meet Pope Francis in Rome to discuss his work on climate change, which makes me think: will the Government commit to working with faith leaders, in this country and overseas, as we seek to mitigate the climate emergency?

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