Queen’s Speech

My Lords, I, too, am most grateful to noble Lords and to the support staff for their help and warm welcome in my early days in your Lordships’ House. Immediately to the north of my diocese of Blackburn, which is the Church of England in Lancashire, lies the diocese of Carlisle in Cumbria. Like your Lordships yesterday, I want to express the heartfelt sympathy of my diocese for the people of Cumbria who have lost so much in recent days. I will also say how encouraged we were to hear the statement of support read out yesterday by the noble Lord, Lord Davies, and what was said today by the Secretary of State—not least that the suitability of the transport infrastructure across Cumbria will be given urgent attention. Earlier this month I had the privilege, granted to few bishops in the Church of England, of taking the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury for a ride. We took a tram journey along Blackpool promenade, where I was allowed to operate the controls under the supervision of watchful experts—a lifelong ambition. The tram in question was an antique dating from the 1920s, but it had been restored and given new purpose. Our brief journey took us past other sites and symbols of regeneration, where millions of pounds are being invested in a resort that has seen hard times. We went past another contemporary shrine where "Strictly Come Dancing" was being televised from the Blackpool Tower ballroom. The Primate of All England was transported on this occasion from a church on the street to a church helping homeless people off the streets—from a church-led joinery project teaching new skills to those on the margins of society to a town centre church running a night shelter for the most needy. Even during those few minutes along the route of the illuminations, which is known to many noble Lords, we could reflect on history and opportunity, on progress and light coming into our world, on a world of change and on the potential for practical compassion. The diocese of Blackburn has been called "England in miniature". It covers some 1,000 square miles between Merseyside and Cumbria and between the Irish Sea and the Yorkshire border. Its varied communities also illustrate great change. In terms of transport, the diocese of Blackburn and the county of Lancashire face times of change and opportunity—the potential of history to become the future. Cinema enthusiasts will need no reminding of the fraught emotions, clipped accents and screaming engine whistles which formed the soundtrack to "Brief Encounter", filmed at Carnforth in the northern part of my diocese. While much has been made recently of the 50th anniversary of the M1 motorway, its predecessor was of course the Preston bypass, which formed the first part of the M6, opened in 1958. Transforming history into opportunity requires consideration of future transport needs. A Christian perspective, as outlined in the Church of England’s recent policies, includes respect for the environment. Here, public transport can and must play a leading role. This was also highlighted in the Government’s warm welcome to recommendations for station improvements advocated in the report Better Rail Stations. A key recommendation was for improved car and cycle parking to encourage what might be called "joined-up travelling", as more journeys are planned to include public transport. Transport influences a broader range of social policy, not least a shared concern between the church and the communities it serves for assisting the least advantaged. I wish to mention the Skipton East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership. Although I hesitate to introduce yet another acronym into your Lordships’ House, the campaign known as SELRAP seeks to reconnect communities separated by historic decline and, through that restored connection, to enable social and economic renewal. The partnership aims to reconnect Colne and Skipton, Lancashire and Yorkshire, the north-west and the north-east, and the three other discernible city regions, Leeds, Manchester and Merseyside. Reconnection would clearly help to reduce marginalisation. SELRAP argues that the 33 per cent of the Blackburn diocese without access to mainline rail travel is noticeably poorer. There is already considerable support for SELRAP’s campaign, including from 57 Members of your Lordships’ House. At a cost of £80 million, the reconnected rail link could promote environmentally sustainable transport and enhanced community cohesion, and reduce regional economic imbalance—literally joined-up thinking. Such joined-up thinking emphasises contact, the importance of which was underlined to me through another element of the gracious Speech—the Digital Economy Bill. While persuading some of a virtual future, it will remind others of the continuing need for human contact. The Church continues to value face-to-face relationships and the Bill reminds us to balance the personal and the technological: the pragmatism of cyberspace and the primacy of shared space, out of which flourishes genuine, life-giving encounters, which awards us a return ticket to the Blackpool tram. As we travelled two weeks ago with the most reverend Primate the Archbishop through Lancashire’s varied communities, nurturing encounters, we found that experiences could be shared, realities established and Christian understanding developed. Transport in all its ramifications provides the means, but the object is the journey. It is through journeys of encounter that policy can come alive and become not a static code but a vehicle of new life to those it seeks to serve. I again thank your Lordships for your welcome. It will be a privilege to take part in future business of the House.