Oxford – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Oxford asks about UK Steel Industry

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on high energy costs in response to a government statement on the UK steel industry on 23rd March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, for seven years I was privileged to be the Bishop of Sheffield, and I am familiar with the complex ecology of south Yorkshire, articulated by the noble Lord, Lord Fox. For those seven years, each year I was the guest of the Cutlers Company, who would invite a Minister, always from London and normally the Chancellor. In those years it was the coalition and Conservative Governments. The script followed by the speakers from the Cutlers Company, who did not mince their words, was always the same. It was about the neglect of the manufacturing industry by government and, in particular, high energy costs. This seems to me to be the key to the next chapter in this strategy.

Crime and Policing Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports amendments on tech safety

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in support of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by Baroness Kidron on regulation of chatbots and the need for safety infrastructure in technology:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I also support the amendments in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, and others, and thank them all most warmly. They seem to me appropriately comprehensive and detailed. I have been following the developments in chatbots for a year now: they are massive, they are rapid, they are driven by the pursuit of profit and shareholder value, and not by the welfare of individuals, whether adults or children. There is a tsunami of harm coming towards us, affecting not only the most vulnerable but the whole of our society. We urgently need this kind of regulation and risk assessment for chatbots.

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 Oxford asks about ensuring value of humanity in the world of work

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on ensuring humanity is centred within the world of work during a discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on the labour market on 25th February 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I welcome the new institute, the announcement and the individuals involved. I want to ask a question about the values that the Government will take forward in thinking about this area. What practical steps are they taking to ensure that humanity is at the centre of people’s experience of work, that we are not working for algorithms, and that work is at the centre of humanity and society?

Bishop of Oxford asks about ethics in neurotechnology

The Bishop of Oxford received the following written answer on 20th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they will work with international partners to ensure that the proposed Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization upholds (1) international human rights standards, including safeguards for equity, mental integrity and privacy, (2) the precautionary principle, and (3) protections for children and other vulnerable groups.

Bishop of Oxford asks about impact of AI on youth unemployment

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on the impact of artificial intelligence on youth unemployment on 11th September 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I too welcome and commend the Minister’s passion and commitment. I recently met around 100 young people, as part of the work our diocese is doing, and their number one concern is the impact of technology and AI on their future jobs. There is now robust research in the United States on the likely impact of AI on entry-level jobs. Are the Government aware of that research and do they intend to commission research on the likely impact on the UK of artificial intelligence and strategies that might emerge?

Bishop of Oxford asks about use of AI in government work and cybersecurity

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on joined up thinking in defence and cybersecurity, and the risks of AI use in government work, on 10th September 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, on Monday the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence heard a striking presentation from the Polish Minister for defence and cybersecurity, who talked about the joined-up thinking his nation has developed on defence and commercial attacks of this kind. I ask the Minister what the Government are doing to join up thinking in defence and industry, in terms of cyber- attacks. In light of the Government’s promotion of artificial intelligence, do they consider that this increases the risk of cyberattacks of this kind? What steps are the Government taking to advocate responsible and cautious adoption of AI to mitigate this risk?

Bishop of Oxford speaks in debate on report on the crimes of Daesh (ISIL)

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in a debate on a report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights on the crimes of Daesh on 10th September 2025, highlighting the ongoing issue of British citizens who were members of Daesh and the need to bring them to justice, and noting the need to care for the number of children detained with their parents who had been Daesh members:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the Joint Committee on Human Rights on its detailed and courageous report, and the noble Lord, Lord Alton, on bringing this debate. With others, I am sorry that he cannot be with us today. I, too, received the graphic photographs of his serious injuries.

Bishop of Oxford asks about changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Fund

The Bishop of Oxford received the following written answer on 21st July 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made an assessment of the cost implications of children who (1) remain longer in care, and (2) are returned to care, as a result of the changes made to the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

Bishop of Oxford asks about adoption and special guardianship schemes

The Bishop of Oxford received the following written answers on 1oth July 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford asked His Majesty’s Government:

whether they will carry out an impact assessment of the adoption and special guardianship support fund changes; and if so, when they will publish that impact assessment.
what plans they have to assess the impact of the adoption and special guardianship support fund changes on (1) adoptive and kinship placement disruption, and (2) adopter recruitment.

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