Bishop of Portsmouth raises impact on education and young people during debate on AI

The Bishop of Portsmouth spoke in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s debate on the effects of AI on society on 5th June 2026, nothing the impact of AI on education, children, and young people:

The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: My Lords, I welcome this debate and congratulate my most reverend friend on initiating such a profoundly helpful and timely discussion. I wish to add a few reflections in my capacity as the Church of England’s lead bishop for education and the chair of the National Society for Education, which serves more than 1 million of our country’s young people and supports Church schools, MATs, and further and higher education institutions countrywide.

In responding to AI within the space of education— it is nothing short of a fourth education revolution, as Sir Anthony Seldon has argued so powerfully— we will need to act with purposeful and collective determination. We will need to build strong alliances and, at every point, own our own agency in shaping the impacts of AI on a generation of children and young people.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about affordable housing in rural areas

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 1st June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the provision of sufficient affordable housing in rural areas to enable young people to remain in the villages where they live and work, ensuring the long-term viability of those communities.

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Church Commissioners Questions: Christians in Palestine, Children and Young People, Project Spire, Extremism, Child Poverty, Places of Worship Renewal Fund, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Archbishop of Canterbury, Small Churches

In the House of Commons, Marsha De Cordova MP, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, gave answers to the following questions from MPs on 16th April 2026:

Christians in Palestine

Kate Osamor MP (Lab, Edmonton & Winchmore Hill) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to support Christians in Palestine.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church remains steadfast in its support for Palestinians. The Bishops of Southwark, Gloucester, Chelmsford and Norwich have publicly highlighted their concerns by condemning the increased settler violence and calling for the reopening of holy places. They have joined His Holiness the Pope and the local heads of Churches, who have called for the protection of innocent civilians. They are offering sanctuary, working for peace and reconciliation, and building intercommunity trust.

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Bishop of Chester asks about careers in nursing and social care

The Bishop of Chester asked a question on encouraging young people to enter the nursing and social care fields on 24th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, like other noble Peers, I warmly welcome this Statement. I notice an emphasis on technical skills in the Written Statement and the Statement the Minister has made. I declare an interest: I have been married to somebody who has been a professional social worker all her life. I am interested in what we are doing to encourage young people into the caring professions, be that youth work, nursing, educative support, or social care, because it seems to me that this serves not only their good but also the good of our society.

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Bishop of Derby asks about youth justice and sports provision

The Bishop of Derby received the following written answers on 9th March 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Derby asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sport and Physical Activity in the Criminal Justice System’s report Physical Activity and Sport across the Children and Young People Secure Estate, and Adult Custodial Estate in England and Wales, published in December 2025.

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Bishop of Manchester asks about investment in educational transition points

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on encouraging healthy management of educational transitions for children on 24 February 2026, following a government statement on the schools white paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare an interest in that my diocese has more than 190 Church schools and we educate around 60,000 children, in the total roll across them. The Church of England has already officially welcomed the White Paper and these Benches echo that this evening.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about support for youth employment

The Bishop of Leicester asked a question on supporting young people not in work, education, or training on 5th February, during a discussion on youth unemployment:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester: I welcome the Government’s new initiatives in this area, particularly the youth guarantee. Can the Minister tell us how the Government are going to tackle the estimated 500,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training, and who are not claiming benefits either? Are we not at serious risk of a whole generation of young people not being able to use their gifts for the good of wider society?

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Bishop of Leicester asks about youth employment scheme

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 27th January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government how they will ensure the jobs created for the Youth Guarantee scheme for 18-to-21-year-olds on Universal Credit are genuinely new roles which would not otherwise have been advertised.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about youth work

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 23rd January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the trusted adults targeted through the National Youth Strategy are trained and equipped to provide skilled work-readiness coaching for young people who are not in education, employment or training.

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Bishop of Leicester asks about youth employment schemes

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 22nd January 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government what measures they have in place to ensure that the trial of new interventions within the Youth Trailblazers programme does not affect participation levels in existing employment programmes run by the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector which they have evaluated as effective.

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