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1125718

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Christianity: Africa
	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 tackle the persecution of Christians in African countries; and what steps the Church of England is taking with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to highlight the persecution of Christians in those countries.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	252642
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England mission agencies are supporting partner churches and communities in Africa to help them address the challenges of inter-religious living. The submission by the Church of England and the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales to the Foreign Secretary’s independent review into persecuted Christians sets out recommendations as to the steps that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can take to support Christian communities and other religious whose right to freedom of religion or belief is being impinged.</p><p>The submission from the Church of England can be read here: <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archbishopofcanterbury.org%2Fnews%2Flatest-news%2Fanglicans-and-catholics-make-joint-submission-foreign-office-review-persecuted&amp;data=02%7C01%7Csimon.stanley%40churchofengland.org%7Cc99ba4c953fc4ca29a1708d6d7b3ab1b%7C95e2463b3ab047b49ac1587c77ee84f0%7C0%7C0%7C636933563999961576&amp;sdata=lkYPUg7yohrUb1SDkrGiN6VIxDlSumjLs1CdRxzmz2I%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/latest-news/anglicans-and-catholics-make-joint-submission-foreign-office-review-persecuted</a></p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 13/05/2019 15:04:45 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1125722

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Overseas Aid: Sri Lanka
	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 discussions the Church of England has had with the Department for International Development on ensuring aid reaches people in Sri Lanka who need it most.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	252646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England has had no discussions with the Department for International Development on aid to Sri Lanka, but the Diocese of Leeds which has had a companion link with Sri Lanka for nearly 40 years, is in regular contact with the Anglican church of Sri Lanka, as to how best the Church can contribute to human flourishing in Sri Lanka.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 13/05/2019 15:05:33 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1125178

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	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 right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what progress the Church of England has made on tackling the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
	tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
	tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
	uin	910766
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England welcomed the decision by the Foreign Secretary to launch an Independent Review into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s support for persecuted Christians.</p><p>On behalf of their two Churches, Archbishop of Canterbury and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster made a joint submission to the Review. They set out a range of practical recommendations about how the Government could take meaningful action not only in protecting Christians facing persecution but also in promoting freedom of religion and belief more widely.</p><p>Their joint submission can be found here: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/latest-news/anglicans-and-catholics-make-joint-submission-foreign-office-review-persecuted</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 09/05/2019 11:40:50 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

1121340

	registered interest
	date	11/04/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Community Development
	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 representations she has received on the use of church facilities for community purposes at times when worship or church events are not taking place.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	244093
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England encourages its churches to consider making wider, more imaginative and more strategic use of their buildings, where this will help them to fulfil their purpose of being a Christian presence in every community. There is national guidance on selecting the right legal and funding model to develop church buildings for uses beyond worship, whether that is to tackle issues of social justice, or for a commercial partnership. Individual decisions on what is right for particular churches and communities are made by parishes.</p><p>National guidance is available here, along with a number of case studies: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/sharing-your-building" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/advice-and-guidance-church-buildings/sharing-your-building</a></p><p>The Diocese of Hereford has produced a comprehensive resource on developing church buildings for additional uses, called Crossing the Threshold, available here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/making-changes-your-building-and-churchyard" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/churchcare/making-changes-your-building-and-churchyard</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 23/04/2019 07:18:10 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1109916

	registered interest
	date	05/04/2019
	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
	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 is taking to ensure the evangelical makeup of its congregations is reflected in the custom and practices of the Church's leadership.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	241392
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2019 answer text <p>The traditions of individuals and congregations in the Church of England is not always easily identifiable, and it is often very difficult to label individuals and congregations accordingly. However, the Church is aware of its diversity of traditions and is committed to the growth of the whole Church. A key factor in all senior appointments is the energy candidates bring to evangelism and encouraging confident Christian witness, and of course, different candidates will step into this space in different ways.</p><p>The Church’s Strategic Learning Community and Senior Leadership Development programmes have been created to bring together clergy from across the church, from all traditions and backgrounds. More information about this work can be found here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/nurturing-senior-leaders" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/nurturing-senior-leaders</a> However, it is worth noting that both of the current Archbishops identify as having come from an evangelical background, as well as many other diocesan bishops in the Church of England.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 09/04/2019 15:57:39 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109823

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Lambeth Conference
	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 Archbishop of Canterbury will invite bishops from the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Church in Brazil to the Lambeth 2020 conference.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240952
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>I have met recently with the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss attendance at the Lambeth 2020 conference.</p><p>The publication of information about those invited to the Lambeth Conference in 2020 is a matter for the Archbishop of Canterbury, not the Church Commissioners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 08/04/2019 15:58:18 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109825

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Voting Behaviour
	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 is taking to improve democratic participation among its lay members.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240953
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England encourages responsible democratic participation in its schools and parishes, as one of the stakeholders involved with UK Parliament Week, and as a provider of hustings and other forms of engagement at election times. The General Synod is the Church’s own national legislative body, to which lay members can be elected. The Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament is expected soon to consider a Church Measure that will reform and simplify Church representation rules on elections for Parochial Church Councils, Deanery and Diocesan Synods.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 08/04/2019 15:57:40 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109827

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Pregnancy
	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 is taking to support women with unplanned pregnancies.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240954
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England provides a wide range of pastoral care through its national network of 12,600 parishes and 18,000 active ordained clergy assisted by 10,000 licensed lay ministers. This care is offered to all regardless of Church affiliation or religious belief. The most effective pastoral care builds a relationship through which a person can be accompanied through difficult situations - rather than offering a service in which the person becomes the client.</p><p>Pastoral care at parish level is extended to women with unwanted pregnancies on the basis that ‘<em>Every possible support, especially by Church members, needs to be given to those who are pregnant in difficult circumstances and care, support and compassion must be shown to all whether or not they continue with their pregnancy.</em>’ (General Synod July 2017: written answer was given by the Chair of Mission and Public Affairs Council in response to a question on the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act).</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 08/04/2019 15:57:11 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109828

	registered interest
	date	04/04/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church Services: Attendance
	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 is taking to increase attendance at church services.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	240955
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>Strategic Development Funding has been made available to develop the capacity of Church of England dioceses to increase church attendance. 2017 a total of £44million was awarded to 27 projects in 20 dioceses. In 2018, £61.6 million was awarded to 20 new projects in 20 dioceses. One third of these new initiatives focus on work with children and young people, and the majority are located in deprived areas.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018 the Church of England formed an Evangelism and Discipleship Department, based at Church House, Westminster, to enable a strategic national approach by developing specific interventions and resources to enable and equip its million regular worshippers to be able to talk about and live out their faith. This supplements work at a Diocesan level to develop more growing churches: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/evangelism-and-discipleship" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/more/church-resources/evangelism-and-discipleship</a></p><p> </p><p>The Church of England is developing 1,000 new evangelists in the over the next five years. Other measures include working with a number of dioceses around a Culture of Invitation to help parishioners to invite people to their church ( <a href="http://www.cultureofinvitation.com/" target="_blank">http://www.cultureofinvitation.com/</a> ), helping churches to ensure that those coming for baptisms, funerals and weddings are welcomed and invited to continue attending their local church (<a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings</a> ), and the Talking Jesus Course, which is a simple 6 week video-based course to inspire ordinary Christians to share their faith in natural and relevant ways: <a href="https://talkingjesus.org/" target="_blank">https://talkingjesus.org/</a></p><p> </p><p>Seven million people engaged with the Church of England via digital media channels last Christmas through the ‘Follow the Star campaign’. Two million used it to identify a church to attend through the resource <a href="http://www.achurchnearyou.com/" target="_blank">www.achurchnearyou.com</a> The Church’s use of digital and social media has won awards for innovation, and there are now worship and liturgy resources available via Alexa and a variety of Apps.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 08/04/2019 15:55:51 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1105867

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Dams: Safety
	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 discussions the Church of England has had with the mining sector on improving the safety of tailings dams after the collapse of Vale dam in Brazil.
	tabling member constituency	Brentwood and Ongar
	tabling member printed	Alex Burghart
	uin	238387
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2019 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners have been closely engaged in holding the mining company responsible for the collapse of the Vale dam in Brumadinho, Brazil to account. The Commissioners hosted a roundtable meeting with other investors and senior management from a number of the largest mining companies, at which it became clear that there was a major industry-wide issue with the safety and monitoring of these dams.</p><p>Following demands from the investor’s group, on the 19th March, the Chief Executive of BHP agreed to the need for “a common, international and independent body to oversee the integrity, construction and the operation of all dams and supported the call for increased transparency in tailings dams disclosure.” The Commissioners welcome the lead taken by BHP, and the investor’s group will continue to hold the mining sector to account.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 01/04/2019 15:57:26 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart