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1177287

registered interest
date	10/02/2020
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Clergy: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to inform and educate its clergy on (a) scientific advances and (b) new technologies.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	14670
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2020 answer text <p>The Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs Division has partnered with the Universities of Durham and York to address gaps in understanding between science and religion. Equipping Christian Leaders in an Age of Science has been running for four years and has just been awarded £3.4m by the Templeton Religion Trust for its next phases. The team has organised 11 conferences enabling bishops and senior church leaders to engage with the latest developments in topics ranging from neuroscience to cosmology.</p><p> </p><p>The Church of England is also a partner in the Centre for Doctoral Training in AI Ethics at the University of Bath, along with numerous other industry partners, gaining understanding which will be shared within the Church. The Bishop of Oxford is a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on AI and is a board member of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. The Church also made a submission to the recently-published consultation by the Committee for Standards in Public Life on the impact of AI on public life.</p><p> </p><p>All this work on new technologies will feed into the Equipping Christian Leaders in an Age of Science project and the wider engagement of the Church on public affairs. In March 2020 three new pieces of research will begin. These are designed to deepen understanding of science and to resource and expand the reach of Church engagement. This research will take place at Durham University, York University and within the Mission and Public Affairs Division of the Archbishops' Council.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/02/2020 17:49:51 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1177288

registered interest
date	10/02/2020
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Marriage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to strengthen and marriage and family life.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	14671
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2020 answer text <p>At parish level clergy and parishioners often work with couples to prepare them ahead of their wedding for life together, support them afterwards, and through voluntary activities offer groups and facilities for families and children, which help sustain community.</p><p>Marriage preparation work will often include church-led marriage enrichment workshops and other courses and support for couples at every stage of their marriage. Through the Life Events programme the Church is working with clergy and other church leaders to enhance the depth of engagement with couples through wedding planning.</p><p>The Church, including through the Bishops in the House of Lords, continues to highlight and address the social and economic issues that place strain on married relationships, including the Bishop of St Albans’s work on the impact of gambling and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Housing, Church and Community. The Church of England also made a submission to the Government’s consultation on no-fault divorce and the Lords Spiritual have engaged with the legislation in Parliament.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 12/02/2020 17:49:02 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1176001

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Youth Centres
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what estimate the Church of England has made of the number of church-based youth clubs; and what assessment he has made of effect of those clubs on the wellbeing of the young people that use them.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	12268
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2020 answer text <p>The Church of England employs 2,670 children and youth workers in its parishes, and there are 80,000 volunteers across the church who are engaged in projects supporting children and young people. Projects can range from holiday clubs, messy church, sports ministry and creative play.</p><p>The Church of England commissioned a research project assessing how best to approach building confidence, engagement and belonging, creating a supportive and inclusive environment in 2016 which has formed the basis of its approach. The report can be read here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.churchofengland.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2017-11%2FRooted%2520in%2520the%2520Church%2520Summary%2520Report.pdf&amp;data=02%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7Caedf6ae675af4733dd0708d7ab1b6383%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C1%7C637166006451445255&amp;sdata=XgFI5KrYgz5a79R4T0td9p%2FTpLQ5gHlAVC1i0RrVA%2FQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Rooted%20in%20the%20Church%20Summary%20Report.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 06/02/2020 15:58:55 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1168767

registered interest
date	20/12/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Christianity: Oppression
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the hon. Member representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to provide support to (a) Kurdish Christians and (b) other persecuted Christian groups.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	299
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2020 answer text <p>(a) The Church of England is working closely to support Christan development and aid agencies to meet the humanitarian need of those who are displaced from the conflict in Syria.</p><p>The Church is continuing to encourage the Department for International Development and the wider international community to bolster the capacity of local civil society groups operating in the region. These groups, many of them faith-based, will be on the frontline of the humanitarian response in the months and years to come.</p><p>(b) The Church of England welcomes the decision by the Government to accept and implement the recommendations of the Truro Report to strengthen Foreign and Commonwealth Office support for persecuted Christians. Church of England officials are providing advice and support to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as it takes forward the implementation of these recommendations. The Church welcomes the Prime Minister’s commitment made in his Christmas message to stand in solidarity with Christians everywhere and to defend their right to practice their faith.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 10/01/2020 16:16:53 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1156262

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Churches: Theft
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of major property thefts from Churches in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	4943
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England does not hold data on thefts centrally, but it is kept by local police forces, Historic England and the insurance industry.</p><p>The most prominent form of property theft from churches is that of metal (mainly lead from roofs) and of historic building materials such as flagstones. These are items with a high resale value and which, once removed, can be difficult to identify as coming from a particular place. Because of the largely historic nature of the buildings targeted these thefts are counted as heritage crime. This issue does not just affect churches; it is so widespread that it is the subject of a joint project and Memorandum of Understanding signed by the National Police Chiefs' Council, the Crown Prosecution Service, Historic England and a growing number of local authorities, community safety partnerships and National Park Authorities. It is an agreement to work in partnership with each other to prevent and solve crimes against historic places.</p><p>The Church of England is an active partner in identifying and tackling heritage crime, especially metal theft. The church is part of Operation Crucible, the police-led initiative investigating metal theft, and it has become clear over recent years that this form of criminal behaviour is now being undertaken by organised gangs. The earlier changes to the law did initially lead to a drop in reported incidences, but recently the issue has again become more widespread. The Church of England submitted evidence to the review of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act in 2017 asking the Government to tighten up the Act to better reflect the changing behaviour of both the scrap metal trade and the organised criminal activity.</p><p>Due to the highly mobile nature of this form of organised criminal activity and without increased resource, it is hard to see how police and heritage crime officers will be able to address the increase in thefts we are seeing across the country. Thefts are moving gradually west and north along the major transport routes. This year the Church has had the first reports of metal and stone theft in the Bath &amp; Wells Diocese and in the Yorkshire Dioceses. Tightening up of the law, therefore, needs to be accompanied by increased police resources and greater political will.</p><p>Parish churches are maintained by volunteers on behalf of the local community. Aside from the financial impact of these thefts, the impact on communities is significant. The social and community impact of the crime, as well as the criminal damage to listed buildings, needs to be addressed at sentencing, as even the theft of small amounts of lead or stone cost has a huge impact on local people. These buildings represent our country’s local and national heritage. Due to the highly mobile nature of criminal gangs, it is essential that police and local churches work together to ensure that heritage crime does not become a decreasing priority for police forces.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 05/11/2019 15:30:10 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman previous answer version 3752 answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1141741

registered interest
date	24/07/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Anglicanism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England has plans to adopt the approach of the Global Anglican Future Conference as a model for the (a) growth and (b) development of the Anglican Communion.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	281578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The policies, structures and strategic development of the Anglican Communion are not matters for which the Church Commissioners has responsibility.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/09/2019 14:00:55 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1141744

registered interest
date	24/07/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Global Anglican Future Conference: Rwanda
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Archbishop of Canterbury plans to attend the 2020 Global Anglican Future Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	281579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>At previous meetings of the Global Anglican Future Conference the Archbishop of Canterbury has been represented by a diocesan bishop of the Church of England. No decision has yet been taken by the Archbishop of Canterbury about whether he or a representative will attend the 2020 Conference in Kigali.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/09/2019 14:04:02 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1141745

registered interest
date	24/07/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Transgender People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will clarify its interpretation of biblical teaching on sex and gender in relation to transgender issues.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	281580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England is currently undertaking a consultative process called ‘Living in Love and Faith’, which is considering all matters of sexuality and gender.</p><p>In 2018 the House of Bishops issued Pastoral Guidance for use in conjunction with the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith in the context of gender transition, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/Pastoral%20Guidance-Affirmation-Baptismal-Faith.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/Pastoral%20Guidance-Affirmation-Baptismal-Faith.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/09/2019 14:05:54 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1141746

registered interest
date	24/07/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Church of England: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what proportion of Church of England employees are practising Christians.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	281581
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>It is not possible to give the proportion of employees either at a parish, diocesan or national institution-level who are practising Christians as information on this is not recorded or held centrally. Some posts within the National Church Institutions have a Genuine Occupational Requirement to either be a ‘Practising or Communicant member of the Church of England or a member of a Church in communion with the Church of England’.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/09/2019 14:06:25 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1141747

registered interest
date	24/07/2019
answering body	Church Commissioners
answering dept id	9
answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
hansard heading	Church of England: Theology
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help ensure that its theology is founded on the 39 articles.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	281582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The founding theology of the Church of England is drawn from a combination of documents, beliefs and practices known as the ‘Historic Formularies’ and Canon Law. The Historic Formularies consist of scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, the 39 Articles of Religion and the Ordinal.</p><p>Priests of the Church of England are required to affirm their acceptance of the Historic Formularies at their ordination during the Declaration of Assent. The text of this can be found under Canon C15: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/more/policy-and-thinking/canons-church-england/section-c" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/more/policy-and-thinking/canons-church-england/section-c</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/09/2019 14:07:42 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes