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.
Votes: Data (Use and Access) Bill
Tag: technology
Bishop of St Albans asks about digital exclusion in rural areas
The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on digital exclusion in rural areas on 7th January 2025, following a government statement on health and adult social care reform:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I am grateful to His Majesty’s Government for trying to get cross-party agreement on this really important issue; it is important that it does not get lost in party politics. It is good to hear about the improvements to the NHS app, which is working quite well in some areas already. However, some people are digitally excluded, and there is a lack of connectivity in rural areas. How are we going to ensure that these groups are not excluded as we go forward with this important work?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about digital exclusion in rural areas”Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill: Bishop of Leeds supports bill
The Bishop spoke at the second reading of the Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill on 13th December 2024, emphasising the need for legislation on this issue:
The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Owen, on bringing forward this Bill, which seems to me to be very clear. It was good to witness her evident surprise at having to explain it to a bishop, but she need not have worried on that front.
Continue reading “Non-Consensual Sexually Explicit Images and Videos (Offences) Bill: Bishop of Leeds supports bill”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.
Continue reading “Bishop of Oxford supports ban on smartphones in schools”Bishop of St Albans asks about regulation of new technologies
The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 11th October 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government, following the finding in the Internet Matters report The new face of digital abuse: Children’s experiences of nude deepfakes, published on 22 October, that nearly half a million children have encountered AI deepfake nudes online, what plans they have to ban apps that create deepfake nudes.
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about regulation of new technologies”Bishop of St Albans asks about effects of smartphones on young people’s mental health
The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the mental health of young people and the potential effects of social media and smartphones, during a discussion on health-related benefits claims on 5th November 2024:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I pick up the Minister’s reference to mental health. Some estimates suggest that up to two-thirds of those claiming incapacity benefits are doing so on the basis of mental health-related issues. Can the Minister tell us whether a focus on young people, in particular their use of things such as smartphones and social media, is being both researched and fed into the Government’s early intervention strategy?
Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about effects of smartphones on young people’s mental health”Bishop of Newcastle speaks on growth of the technology sector in the North East of England
The Bishop of Newcastle spoke in a debate on the contribution of science and technology to the UK economy on 31st October 2024, with a focus on the growth of the science and technology sector in the North East of England:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I thank the noble Viscount, Lord Stansgate, for bringing this important and timely debate. I look forward to the maiden speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Freeman, and welcome her to your Lordships’ House.
I want to focus my remarks on the north-east region’s rapidly growing science and tech sector as a huge asset to the UK economy, attracting skills and investment from across the world. At the heart of the sector in this region are its five distinguished universities: Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside. This month they announced their new partnership, known as Universities for North East England, that will strengthen their collaboration, making a greater contribution to everyone who lives, works, and studies in the north-east and driving regional economic growth.
Continue reading “Bishop of Newcastle speaks on growth of the technology sector in the North East of England”Bishop of Leicester asks about tackling online abuse and prejudice
On 5th September 2024, during a discussion on the ability of current online safety legislation to regulate abuse, the Bishop of Leicester asked a question on the need to tackle the root causes of prejudice leading to online abuse, and the role communities and faith groups can play in helping to combat it:
The Lord Bishop of Leicester: My Lords, I recognise absolutely the urgency and importance of legislation in this area, but does the Minister agree that equally important is the work of tackling the prejudice that lies behind online abuse, and the important role therefore of intermediate institutions such as community groups and faith groups in tackling prejudice? What are the Government doing to support those groups in that work?
Continue reading “Bishop of Leicester asks about tackling online abuse and prejudice”King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Oxford raises potential risks of new technologies
On 19th July 2024, the Bishop of Oxford spoke on developments in science and technology during the debate on the King’s Speech, encouraging the government to consider the potential risks of certain new technologies, particularly to children and security:
The Lord Bishop of Oxford: My Lords, it is a privilege to contribute to this debate. I congratulate the new Ministers and express appreciation to the noble Baroness, Lady Barran, and to the noble Baroness, Lady Jolly, for her valedictory speech. There is much to commend in the gracious Speech.
A few weeks ago, Pope Francis addressed the leaders of the G7 on the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence. Francis spoke of the way in which AI arises from God-given human potential. He spoke of the excitement at the possibilities that these powerful tools bring, of the risks of greater inequalities and impersonation, and of the need for deep and humane wisdom and ethics and the right political leadership. I encourage noble Lords to read his address but also, if they have a moment, to watch the 10 minutes before his address. Pope Francis demonstrated a deep humanity, not only in his words but in the way he went right around the room, embracing each of the G7 leaders and lightening for a moment the heavy burdens that each carried.
Continue reading “King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Oxford raises potential risks of new technologies”Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill: Bishop of Worcester welcomes legislation
On 22nd March 2024, the Bishop of Worcester spoke in a debate on the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill (a private members bill tabled by Lord Holmes of Richmond), supporting the aims of the bill and calling for robust approach to AI regulation:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, I guarantee that this is not an AI-generated speech. Indeed, Members of the House might decide after five minutes that there is not much intelligence of any kind involved in its creation. Be that as it may, we on these Benches have engaged extensively with the impacts and implications of new technologies for years—from contributions to the Warnock committee in the 1980s through to the passage of the Online Safety Bill through this House last year. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, for this timely and thoughtful Bill and for his brilliant introduction to it. Innovation must be enthusiastically encouraged, as the noble Baroness, Lady Moyo, has just reminded us. It is a pleasure to follow her.
That said, I will take us back to first principles for a moment: to Christian principles, which I hope all of good will would want to support. From these principles arise two imperatives for regulation and governance, whatever breakthroughs new technologies enable. The first is that a flourishing society depends on respecting human dignity and agency. The more any new tool threatens such innate dignity, the more carefully it should be evaluated and regulated. The second imperative is a duty of government, and all of us, to defend and promote the needs of the nation’s weak and marginalised —those who cannot always help themselves. I am not convinced that the current pro-innovation and “observe first, intervene later” approach to AI get this perennial balance quite right. For that reason, I support the ambitions outlined in the Bill.
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