Bishop Martin became the Bishop of Chichester in 2012 and joined the second chamber in January 2018 as one of the 26 Lords Spiritual.
On 19th July, he made his maiden speech to the House, where typically new members give and indication of what concerns them in their first address to other peers.
Bishop Martin decided to focus on the arts and affordable housing for young people.
He cited the University of Chichester as an example of where the arts and Christian ethics have met: "It is no accident that today the arts form a central part of the University's life, drawing from rich resources in the cathedral's outstanding musical tradition, from Pallant House art gallery, and from the Festival Theatre, (enjoying summer performances of Me and My Girl) that runs a vibrant youth theatre of over 800 people of school age. Its workshops for young people and adults with special needs represent a remarkable achievement of social inclusion.
"In a creative, balanced and economically sound society, the arts, science, engineering and technology need each other. As we consider the value to the UK economy of higher education as an export, the Church of England, a foundational stakeholder in Higher Education, is also concerned with the quality and scope of the offer we make to overseas students.
"The benefits of access to learning and the arts can and must be open to all, especially in areas of deprivation, where they provide unique opportunities to combat some of the symptoms of social dislocation and its consequences. I was delighted to learn that it was back in the 1950s that the Glyndebourne Festival took a production of Fidelio into Lewes Prison, as part of a rehabilitation programme among prisoners."
He went to explain though that pursuing the arts was not always open to all: "The challenges to sustaining this access are substantial. Last year saw a 39% drop in the number of A-level music candidates and a 31% drop at GCSE. The impact of this is catastrophic in Higher Education and the maintenance of our place as a world-class centre for music and the arts. Moreover, fears that there is a growing social segregation in access to the arts are strengthened by the realisation that only one in ten pupils from a disadvantaged background in Hastings or Eastbourne will go to university."
His other point was on housing: "Finally, my Lords, I believe that we should demonstrate a duty of care for students that stretches beyond the academy. At present 40% of Chichester's graduates leave the region within a week of completing their courses because affordable accommodation is unavailable.
"This is a crippling outcome for the future economic and cultural life of provincial towns and cities like Chichester. And similarly, how do we sustain the relationships we are building with overseas students who are our exports? How do the bonds of learning and culture forge a greater sense of international trade and security that will build a peaceful and a better future?"
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