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:
February 2009
First Inter Parliamentary Conference on anti-Semitism reception held at Lambeth Palace
19 February 2009
On behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, The Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of…
Archbishop's speech at House of Lords Debate - Good Childhood Inquiry Report
12 February 2009
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams spoke at the House of Lords 'Children: Good Childhood…
November 2008
Archbishop's speech at Lord Mayor's Banquet 2008
10 November 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, gave the following speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet
July 2008
Keep the Promise - Millennium Development Goals
24 July 2008
The Archbishop's speech, given at Lambeth Palace after the Walk of Witness, prior to an address by the…
Archbishop Welcomes Government Announcement on Credit Unions
2 July 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today welcomed an announcement by the Treasury that…
June 2008
Newsnight Interview on Childhood
9 June 2008
The Archbishop shares his concerns about the treatment of children in the criminal justice system, the…
May 2008
Government and business leaders talk climate change at Lambeth Palace
13 May 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Bishop of London the Rt. Revd Richard Chartres…
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill - Archbishop's Mail on Sunday article
11 May 2008
Article by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in The Mail on Sunday.
April 2008
Archbishop - Protect the poorest from the effects of economic downturn - House of Lords debate
25 April 2008
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has today called on the government to do more to protect…
February 2008
Archbishops' response to Government consultation on blasphemy
29 February 2008
As the Government publishes its amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to abolish the blasphemy laws,…