Lords
Proceedings
14 July 2026
Business Hiring
My Lords, the area of Greater Manchester, which is largely coterminous with my diocese, has been showing better growth and better employment figures than most other parts of the country. I wonder whether the Minister might reflect that what the wider country needs is a good dose of Manchesterism.
Lords
Proceedings
13 July 2026
Climate Change: Housing Insurability, Mortgage Lending and Financial Resilience
My Lords, yesterday the Church of England General Synod reaffirmed its commitment to net zero. Back when we were first looking into that, I remember sitting down with the chief executive of one of the world’s largest insurance companies and asking him why he was so interested in climate change. He s…
Lords
Proceedings
6 July 2026
International Marine Protected Area: Sargasso Sea
I thank the Minster for her Answer; I am comforted by it. It is well documented that networks of ecologically connected MPAs deliver greater conservation benefits. Will the Government commit to working alongside other Atlantic countries to advocate at upcoming international fora for a network of Atl…
Lords
Proceedings
29 June 2026
Immigration and Asylum: Appeals
My Lords, picking up on the point about training, can the Minister tell us what support will be available and what training will be offered to the adjudicators around religious literacy? Decisions regarding people’s cases often hinge on claims of religious persecution and involve people who have dee…
Lords
Proceedings
25 June 2026
Puberty Blockers Trial: Consent
Would the Minister agree that the scientific trials are the best way to try to remove this from the culture wars that are so damning this particular topic?
Lords
Proceedings
24 June 2026
2 contributions
Clergy Conduct Measure
My Lords, the Clergy Conduct Measure is a vital part of the Church of England’s ongoing reform of clergy discipline and safeguarding. During the passage of this Measure through the General Synod, the Church has acknowledged that the current clergy discipline system does not always serve complainants…
I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this short debate and for the questions that have been raised. I particularly thank the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, for the scrutiny that she and her committee have given to this matter. I would be grateful if she could pass that on t…
Lords
Proceedings
22 June 2026
Grooming Gangs: Independent Inquiry
My Lords, does the Minister agree that some of the most vulnerable young people are those who are in care. Too often, we see young people put in care homes many hundreds of miles away from where their kinship relationships are, making them even more vulnerable. Will the Minster say what can be done …
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
Affordable Housing: Young People
My Lords, young people under 35 who require support for their housing get only the shared accommodation rate of benefits, yet they are often disproportionately the people who have mental health concerns or other issues. Does the Minister agree that this needs looking into to ensure that the most vul…
Lords
Proceedings
8 June 2026
Children’s Social Care: Enduring Relationships Strategy
My Lords, from these Benches, I also warmly welcome what is in the strategy. Enabling children in care to sustain or make long-lasting relationships is absolutely crucial. When it comes to the lifelong relationship ceremonies, we on these Benches are certainly very interested in looking at what can …
Lords
Proceedings
1 June 2026
For Women Scotland Ltd v Scottish Ministers
My Lords, alongside other faith leaders, I am increasingly coming across trans people—men and women, often young and quite fragile—who are increasingly frightened. They are frightened about participating in public life and about being challenged. Some are even frightened about going to the doctor. W…
Lords
Oral Questions
20 April 2026
Charity Giving
There are two things to say in relation to smaller charities. Some of the measures put in place last year mean that smaller organisations pay less employer contributions. That was done to support smaller organisations. I am happy to arrange a briefing for the right reverend Prelate on the place-base…
Lords
Oral Questions
20 April 2026
Civil Preparedness for War
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the gap. I sincerely thank my noble friend for her excellent introduction and for talking about the national conversation. My point is that this national conversation needs to be very honest. Do not let us have a return to the 1980s, when the Government …
Lords
Debate
26 March 2026
English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
My Lords, I think I have been cued in. I will speak to my Amendment 318A as—yes, still—the Bishop of Manchester. There is a vacancy in London, but I think I am too old to be considered.
Over the last 18 months, I have been chairing the Manchester Social Housing Commission. Central to our work has b…
Lords
Proceedings
17 March 2026
GP Contract
My Lords, the Statement made in the other place refers explicitly to coastal areas and deprived places, and I welcome that. Will the Minister say something about how we can ensure that there is good access to GP services in rural areas?
Lords
Oral Questions
16 March 2026
Antisemitism on University Campuses
The right reverend Prelate raises a really important point. After the outrageous events in Manchester, my right honourable friend Bridget Phillipson wrote to all universities, drawing attention to their responsibility to address this issue. Our universities have a world-class reputation, which makes…
Lords
Debate
11 March 2026
Crime and Policing Bill
My Lords, can I add my two-penn’orth to this? I declare my interest as the co-chair of the national police ethics committee, but I am speaking more as a serving Bishop. I have to hear disciplinary complaints against clergy. Sometimes those clergy have committed something which is being investigated …
Lords
Proceedings
24 February 2026
Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
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.
In Manchester, we have been looki…
Lords
Proceedings
3 February 2026
Police Reform White Paper
My Lords, I note that when the original Statement was made in the other place, it began and ended with a reference to Sir Robert Peel. In my capacity as the co-chair of the National Police Ethics Committee for England and Wales, I probably talk more about the Peelian principles than I ever thought I…
Lords
Proceedings
3 February 2026
Tributes: Lord Wallace of Tankerness
My Lords, from these Benches, I associate my comments and condolences with those who have previously spoken. Lord Wallace was kind, welcoming and generous to new Bishops joining this House. Both he and his wife Rosie are extraordinary people. He in particular made a significant impact on shaping the…
Lords
Oral Questions
2 February 2026
Single-Sex Spaces: EHRC Guidance
The right reverend Prelate could not have said it better and I strongly believe that. It is really important that we understand that the duties of the Equality Act reflect a duty on us all and apply to all the characteristics. But the Supreme Court judgment is very clear; we have to apply it, and we…
Lords
Proceedings
2 February 2026
Tributes: Lord McFall of Alcluith
My Lords, I add the thanks of our Benches to our former Lord Speaker. We are enormously grateful for the warmth of his welcome to us, which began from the moment we were introduced to the House, and continued each day, as he introduced the duty Bishop leading Prayers. We also warmly welcome the nobl…
Lords
Debate
28 January 2026
3 contributions
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, I will be very brief. It is an old, apparently African, adage that it takes a village to raise a child, but it is no less true for that. What that captures in a few words is that raising a child is a balance: a partnership between the parents on the one hand and the wider community on the …
My Lords, this amendment is a repeat of one that I tabled in Committee, to which my right reverend friend the Bishop of Oxford spoke in my absence. I am deeply grateful to him, and to the noble Lords, Lord Lucas and Lord Marks of Hale, who have added their names to it on Report.
My concerns with th…
+1 more contribution in this session
Lords
Oral Questions
28 January 2026
Schools: Music and Dance Scheme
It is not right to say that the only support provided to music and the arts is through the music and dance scheme. That deals with a particular issue about how we ensure that, whatever your income, if you are highly talented, you can learn at the very best private schools, including Chetham’s. Along…
Lords
Debate
21 January 2026
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
My Lords, perhaps I am a simple-minded and naive bishop, but it seems we are getting into a debate we probably should have had in Committee on the different ways of approaching a quite specific issue, and I would rather we did not spend all night doing that. Yet we are where we are.
The very fact t…