Government & Parliament
Archbishops of Canterbury have been members of the House of Lords by virtue of their office since parliament first began many centuries ago. In today's Lords there are two types of member - the Lords Temporal (usually known simply as Peers) and the Lords Spiritual (the two archbishops and 24 most senior bishops of the Church of England). The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior member of the Lords, being the first member entitled to take the oath of allegiance at the start of a new parliament after the Lord Speaker. Dr Rowan Williams took his seat in the Lords in March 2003, shortly after becoming Archbishop, and this section contains details of his parliamentary speeches and questions since that date. Further information on the Lords Spiritual and the Church of England in parliament can be seen here.
Recent items relating to Government & Parliament and House of Lords are shown below:
December 2012
Peerage for the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury
26 December 2012
The Queen has been pleased to confer a Peerage of the United Kingdom for Life on the Most Reverend and…
Archbishop – older people ‘are still participants in society, not passengers’
14 December 2012
In his final appearance in the House of Lords as Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams led a debate…
July 2012
House of Lords: Archbishop asks about Democratic Republic of Congo
19 July 2012
In the House of Lords on Thursday morning, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, asked a supplementary…
June 2012
'Faith, Poverty and Justice' - Lambeth Palace Inter-Faith Event with DFID
26 June 2012
Lambeth Palace hosted a launch of the Department for International Development’s 'Faith Partnership…
Sovereignty, Democracy, Justice - Archbishop's Magna Carta Lecture
15 June 2012
In his lecture “Sovereignty, Democracy, Justice: elements of a good society?” marking the forthcoming…
May 2012
House of Lords debate on role and contribution of faith communities
29 May 2012
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, made a contribution to Lord Sacks’ debate in the House…
March 2012
Motion for an Humble Address on the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
15 March 2012
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, delivered the 'Motion for an Humble Address on the occasion…
December 2011
House of Lords Debate on Christians in the Middle East
9 December 2011
The Archbishop of Canterbury introduced and closed an almost 5-hour debate in the House of Lords on the…
November 2011
Archbishop gives evidence to Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform
28 November 2011
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave evidence in person to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Government's…
Considering Restorative Justice - lecture by Crispin Blunt MP
24 November 2011
The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a lecture by Crispin Blunt MP on Restorative Justice. The event…