Oxford – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Oxford asks about ethical use of medical data

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on the ethical questions around use of medical data and outsourcing of this data to private companies on 9th July 2025, following a government statement on the NHS 10-Year Plan:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I welcome the Minister to her place and, like others, send good wishes to the noble Baroness, Lady Merron.

I welcome very much, as others have done, the three aspirations in Fit for the Future. I think that they are significant and that they are the right ones. I think they are bold and visionary. However, while I welcome the move from analogue to digital, for me, the document raises significant questions. We are looking to build a National Health Service which cares for whole people, not machines. We need, therefore, to be concerned for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health, at every stage of life, across the NHS. That demands continuous investment in people, including, of course, chaplains.

Bishop of Oxford asks about energy and water consumption by data centres

The Bishop of Oxford tabled a question on the measurement and regulation of the amount of energy and water consumed by data centres in the UK on 8th July 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to measure, and (2) to regulate, the amount of (a) energy, and (b) water, consumed by data centres in the United Kingdom.

Bishop of Oxford asks about methods of identifying AI use in media

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on the government’s view of watermarking AI generated content in media on 7th July, during a discussion on the impact of AI on the sustainability and reliability of news media:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, the Minister will be aware of the risks in AI of the impersonation of human reporting. A number of jurisdictions are experimenting with and exploring the watermarking of AI content, so that it is clear what is produced artificially and what is produced by people. The former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says in an article in the Times today that he is very sceptical of that approach. There is a counter-comment from Professor Michael Wooldridge of Oxford University commending it. Do the Government have a view on watermarking, and are their plans to introduce such legislation in the forthcoming AI Bill?

Bishop of Oxford takes part in debate responding to report on the future of news

On 25th April 2025 the Bishop of Oxford spoke in a debate on the future of news, on support for local news, development of a public interest generative AI tool, and building media literacy throughout the population. The report being debated was produced by the Lords Communications and Digital Committee, on which the Bishop of Leeds serves as a member:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I welcome this timely report and this debate. The themes of the report—ethics, truth, access and trust—are of vital importance to the Lords spiritual, as I know they are to all Members of your Lordships’ House. My right reverend friend the Bishop of Leeds was part of the committee that produced this report, and he sends his apologies that he is unable to be in the Chamber today. I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Pack, on his fascinating maiden speech on email newsletters and new forms of communication, and I welcome him very warmly from these Benches to this House.

I have had an interesting response to the report, as I have read it today, and it has really been appreciative of the wonder of living in an age in which, at any hour of the day or night, it is possible to learn what is happening anywhere in the world. I think that is amazing. We are able to access unfolding events, combined with thoughtful commentary and analysis. This week, the world has rightly been paying tribute to Pope Francis, following his death on Monday, for his humility, humanity and courage. Within minutes of the Pope’s death on Monday, we had not only the news that he had, sadly, died but appreciations of his life, comments from world leaders, analysis of his many achievements and a sense of one single news story across the world. The same is true day by day, minute by minute. This report has helped me see afresh the living miracle of the 21st century news environment. So I join others in paying tribute to the media reporters and technicians who devote their lives to public service and good journalism.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Bishop of Oxford supports legislation at second reading

The Bishop of Oxford spoke at the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 23rd April 2025, welcoming the bill and affirming the need for action on health inequalities and the reduction of smoking:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Stevens. I rise to support this important Bill and to express the support of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, who sends her apologies that she cannot be here today. I thank the Minister for her very clear introduction, and other noble Lords for their principled and non-partisan support.

This is an extremely important and effective public health measure that prioritises preventive health at a time when demands on acute services are so significant. Stark inequalities in health remain one of the most persistent and negative health outcomes of modern times. Smoking falls clearly along this line of inequality. Action on Smoking and Health goes so far as to say that smoking is the leading cause of

“the gap in healthy life expectancy”.

Bishop of Oxford asks about carbon emissions caused by AI data centres

The Bishop of Oxford tabled a question on carbon emissions associated with AI data centres on 23rd April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to measure the emissions associated with artificial intelligence in relation to the United Kingdom’s net zero target.

Bishop of Oxford asks about accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on identifying suitable accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees on Tuesday 22nd April 2025, during a discussion on the costs of temporary accommodation provided by local authorities:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I declare an interest as patron of Asylum Welcome, which works with asylum seekers and refugees in Oxford and Oxfordshire. What proportion of temporary accommodation provided by local authorities is used to house refugees who are assessed as priority need after having been granted refugee status? What steps are being taken to identify more suitable long-term accommodation for this cohort?

Bishop of Oxford asks about improving public trust in artificial intelligence

The Bishop of Oxford asked a question on improving and building public trust in AI, during a discussion on introducing legislation for regulation of artificial intelligence on 10th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, according to the Government’s own recent survey, 43% of the public trust that the impact of AI will be positive, but 33% believe it will be negative. Given this very narrow gap and the critical importance of building trust in embracing new technologies, what specific steps are the Government planning to take to improve that public trust as they embed AI in the nation’s most trusted institutions, not least in the NHS?

Bishop of Oxford supports ban on smartphones in schools

The Bishop of Oxford spoke in a debate on proposals to ban the use of smartphones in schools on 28th November 2024, raising examples of the impact of phone use in schools on behaviour, concentration and mental health:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is an honour to take part in this debate. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, on her excellent introduction. I too look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Cass.

The diocese of Oxford, where I serve, has 285 church schools. We share in the education of over 60,000 children through these schools and the network of multi-academy trusts. There is a broad consensus on the importance of this issue and in favour of smartphone-free schools. However, there is not yet a final consensus on the next steps to be taken to bring this about. The consensus arises from our commitment to follow the Christian values of wisdom, respect, community and hope in all our schools.

Bishop of Oxford urges government to commit to accelerating transition to electric vehicles

On 16th October 2024, the Bishop of Oxford took part in a debate on a report from the Environment and Climate Change Committee EV strategy: rapid recharge needed, urging the government to work to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and to ensure parity and fairness in the emerging sector:

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, I too warmly welcome this debate as a member of the committee that produced the report. I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Parminter, for her introduction to the debate and her very careful, wise and gracious—and patient—leadership of the committee in its first three years.

My experience of serving on the ECC Committee across the three years was that each of the challenges we addressed proved to be both more significant and more complex than we first appreciated. It was a tremendous learning curve. Each issue had multiple questions and problems associated with it and needed complex solutions. That was clearly the case with the EV report before the House today.

Some very good work has been done by the previous Government, manufacturers and local authorities, but much more needs to be done—and urgently—to keep this transition on track. I would highlight that need for urgency in the transition. As the noble Baroness, Lady Jones, has just said, the effects of climate change across the world are accelerating, as all of us in this Chamber recognise, often affecting those who have least, who are least resilient and whose emissions in the present and in the past have been lowest across the world.

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